Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker left their win over the Los Angeles Lakers early on Monday night due to an apparent groin injury.
Booker opened the game normally on Monday, and dropped 11 points in the opening quarter to help the Suns out of the gate at Crypto.com Arena. But Booker suddenly checked out of the contest with just more than two minutes left in the period, and he never returned.
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It’s not clear when Booker actually injured himself, but the Suns quickly ruled him out with a right groin injury. Further specifics are not known.
Booker had three assists and two rebounds to go with his 11 points when he left the game. He entered the night averaging 25.7 points, 6.9 assists and 4.4 rebounds per contest this season, his 11th in the league.
And, while it’s surely coincidental, this is now the third December in the past four years in which Booker has gone down with a groin injury. He missed 20 games in December 2022, and then five last season due to groin injuries.
But despite losing Booker, the Suns had no issue rolling to a blowout 125-108 win in Southern California. Dillon Brooks led the way with 33 points, and Collin Gillespie added 28 points on eight 3-pointers for the Suns, who now sit at 13-9 on the year. They ended the second quarter on a 19-4 run, and then led the entire way in the second half to secure the win.
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Luka Dončić led the Lakers with 38 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. Austin Reaves added 16 points. LeBron James, in just his fifth game back this season after missing the start due to a sciatica injury, had 10 points and shot just 3-of-10 from the field. His double-digit point streak was in jeopardy in the fourth quarter, too, but he quickly scored the final four points he needed before checking out of the game for good.
The Suns will take on the Houston Rockets next on Friday.
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