Devin Booker has been out of the lineup for the Phoenix Suns.
As the star guard was diagnosed with a right groin strain, the Suns feared he might miss the team’s do-or-die matchup in the NBA Cup against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night.
Leading up to Wednesday’s action, the Suns felt confident enough to upgrade Booker’s status ahead of the game. He was listed as questionable, viewed as a potential game-time decision as early as Tuesday night.
Will Devin Booker Face the Thunder?
While the Suns left the door open for a potential return to action for Booker, he won’t find clearance for the Wednesday night NBA Cup clash against the Thunder.
It will mark his third absence in a row.
Booker’s injury concern popped up on December 1. As the Suns battled against the Los Angeles Lakers, Booker made NBA history early on during the first quarter.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t build on it. As Booker’s groin issue bothered him for a bit, the Suns’ star went back to the locker room to get checked out. He ended up being ruled out for the remainder of the game and placed on a recovery timeline, which spanned multiple games at this point.
Booker was out for the Suns’ road matchup against the Houston Rockets. Phoenix came up short with a 117-98 loss. When they paid a visit to the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 8, the Suns managed to come up with a tight win in Booker’s absence, collecting a 108-105 victory.
What’s at Stake for Booker’s Suns?
After making it to the NBA Cup quarter-finals, the Suns have to come up with a victory on Wednesday, or else their run in the tournament will end before a trip to Las Vegas.
The OKC Thunder have been the top team in the NBA through the first quarter of the season, losing just one game out of 24 matchups. They are first in the Western Conference.
Before going down with his injury, Booker had 22 appearances under his belt. In 34.7 minutes of action, the star guard has produced 25.0 points per game, while shooting 45 percent from the field and knocking down 31 percent of his threes. Along with his scoring, he has averaged 4.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists.
The Thunder and the Suns are set for a 7:30 PM ET tip.
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