The Phoenix Suns are squarely in the Western Conference playoff mix, but they suffered a potential setback today that could jeopardize their standing this season. The moment occurred in the second half, with five seconds left in the third quarter.
Devin Booker is down with an apparent ankle injury —
Prayers up.🙏
(h/t @CourtSideHeat)
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) January 24, 2026
As Devin Booker was running up near half-court, he collided with Onyeka Okongwu, who had suddenly stopped. After falling to the floor, Book keeled over in pain for a little while until he was eventually helped to the locker room.
The star shooting guard did not return, finishing the night with 31 points, four rebounds, three assists, one steal, and zero blocks on 57.1% shooting and 55.6% shooting from three in only 28 minutes. Without his presence down the stretch, the Suns couldn’t close the deal, scoring only 12 points in the last 12 minutes to lose 110–103.
Booker’s status is tentative as the Suns evaluate the severity of his injury. The franchise legend will likely be marked as day-to-day until a more concrete timeline emerges, but the recovery process is different for everyone when it comes to ankles. Depending on what doctors determine, Booker could miss anywhere from a few games to multiple weeks of action. Given that he had to be helped off the floor, this one could be an extended absence for the All-Star guard.
It is an undoubtedly big blow for a Phoenix squad that had already lost a key performer. In this same game, Jalen Green was ruled out with hamstring tightness (after making his return), leaving the Suns without two major pieces for this game.
Now, at 27-18, the Suns face a daunting mission to stay afloat in the standings while short-handed. At sixth in the West, they are one loss away from falling into play-in territory, and things could get really ugly if they’re unable to adjust.
With upcoming games against the Heat and Nets, Phoenix will be looking to guys like Dillon Brooks, Mark Williams, and Collin Gillespie to step up and fill the void. While there’s no replacing Booker’s scoring, they can make up for his absence in other ways, and that’s what the Suns will be counting on for this next stretch of games.
As for when we can expect Booker back in action, the recovery plan is still in development, but the team hopes to have him back sooner rather than later. In 40 games for the Suns, Booker is averaging 25.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 45.3% shooting and 30.2% shooting from three this season.
