Before Saturday’s double-overtime win over the Orlando Magic, the Phoenix Suns announced star guard Devin Booker will miss at least a week because of a right hip strain suffered in Thursday’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs, continuing a recent pattern of injury woes for Phoenix’s best player. The team’s injury concerns increased when defensive ace Dillon Brooks left in the first half of Saturday’s game with a left hand issue, and bench energizer Jordan Goodwin departed in the fourth quarter with a calf injury.
Booker suffered a right ankle sprain in a Jan. 23 loss at the Atlanta Hawks, which sidelined him for seven games. The five-time All-Star returned Feb. 7 and played in two contests before the Suns shut him down for ankle management against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team’s final game before the All-Star break.
Last weekend, in Inglewood, Calif., Booker participated in the 3-point contest and played a starring role for the winning team in the U.S. vs. World All-Star tournament. Booker was back in Phoenix’s lineup for its first game after the break — the Thursday loss at San Antonio — but he scored just five points in 8 minutes, 47 seconds (both season lows) before leaving with the hip injury.
Booker remains Phoenix’s catalyst, a star always willing to make the right play, but his output and efficiency this season have dipped. In 44 games, Booker averages 24.7 points, which is on pace to be his lowest since the 2016-17 season. His 30.8 3-point percentage is the lowest of his 11-year career.
The Suns are 6-7 without Booker this season.
“If he could play, he’d play,” Suns head coach Jordan Ott said before Saturday’s contest. “We just don’t think it’s too major. That’s why (he’ll be) re-evaluated in a week.’’
One thing the Phoenix Suns have learned this season is how to overcome adversity. Down three rotation players due to injuries, they showed it Saturday, outlasting Orlando 113-110 in double overtime in Phoenix.
The Suns may have to rely on that grit and resilience for the next week or two, given the growing length of their injury report.
Jalen Green saved them Saturday night. The explosive guard struggled all game. With the score tied with 1.1 seconds left, he was 5 of 25 from the field and 1 of 10 from 3-point range. But as time expired, Green took a pass and swished a fading 3-pointer, giving Phoenix the win.
“Thank God. I needed that one,” Green said in an on-court television interview.
AT THE BUZZER FOR THE WIN!!!! pic.twitter.com/lnNLUHPnRB
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) February 22, 2026
“Incredible resilience,” coach Ott told reporters.
The Suns (33-24) have been one of the league’s top surprises, but their injury issues are a worry. They are 3-5 in February, with four losses coming at home. Against the Magic, they missed 14 consecutive shots in the fourth quarter and first overtime. They were 2 of 8 in the second extra period until Green hit the first game-winner of his NBA career.
Overall, the Suns shot 34.2 percent and still found a way. They host the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday and are two games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves for sixth in the Western Conference.
Health has been a Phoenix concern all season. Green, a key piece in the summer blockbuster trade for Kevin Durant, has played in only nine games, mostly because of a hamstring injury. Guard Grayson Allen, who returned Saturday after a four-game absence, has missed 21 games.
Brooks, also a part of the Durant trade with the Houston Rockets, missed six games earlier this season with a groin issue, but otherwise, he has been healthy. His issue has been technical fouls. The defensive ace picked up his 16th in the Feb. 11 loss to Oklahoma City, earning a one-game suspension from the league. That kept Brooks out for Phoenix’s first post-All-Star game against the Spurs.
Brooks returned against Orlando, scoring five points in seven minutes before leaving with the hand injury. He is averaging a career-best 21.2 points and has played a leading role in Phoenix’s success.