Dec 1, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) meets with film actor Austin Butler following the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

What Suns Said on Devin Booker Injury

Originally posted on Phoenix Suns on SI | By Donnie Druin | Last updated Dec 2, 2025 2:28 PM ET

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker mysteriously disappeared from the team's bench in the first half of their eventual win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

The NBC/Peacock broadcast went silent on Booker's departure to the locker room for some time before the Suns themselves officially announced Booker wouldn't return due to a groin injury.

After the game, Phoenix head coach Jordan Ott revealed more:

""I think it was on the finish on (Lakers center) [Jaxson] Hayes he went chest-to-chest and he finished," Suns coach Jordan Ott said (h/t ESPN).

"He fell and I don't think it was [felt] right away, but he mentioned it might've just been a couple plays after, and you could obviously see him trying to stretch it at that point. We kind of know where these things hit. We'll take a look tomorrow, [and know] more after that."

Suns Impressed Even Without Devin Booker

Even down their top player, Phoenix took advantage of a sluggish Lakers team on the second night of a back-to-back and ended L.A.'s seven-game winning streak.

That was mostly thanks to the Suns forcing over 20 turnovers from Los Angeles:

"You could feel our speed impact the game. Our speed, our athleticism defensively and then our ability to get out and run," Ott said.

"You could feel it even in the first half a little bit. That's what we do on a night-to-night basis. Tonight, it just snowballs over time. Everybody can feel it in the building and then obviously steals (16) help lead to our fastbreak points (28)."

LeBron James, after the game, added:

"Turnovers. Transition points. On our home floor. With a disruptive defense like that, you can't turn the ball over that much. Pretty much all pick 6s. They not only turned us over, they was able to convert."

Dillon Brooks and Collin Gillespie combined for over 60 points on the night.

"He's the ultimate competitor. To come back in here, he's talked a lot about coming back into this building. He had a tough playoffs a couple of years ago. This means something different to him. We feel that as a group," Ott said of Brooks.

On Gillespie, Ott added, "His fearlessness to shoot and then his movement. I thought tonight he got some off of movement and then it creates some closeouts."

The Suns have a few days off before playing the Houston Rockets on Friday.