by Suns star Devin Booker was forced to play in the Phoenix’s third preseason game Friday against the Detroit Pistons because of soreness in his right ankle, the team said.
After a 109-91 loss, Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters that the injury wasn’t worth playing through in the preseason, but he expects Booker to be fine.
Rookie Ryan Dunn stepped into the starting lineup in Booker’s place at the Footprint Center, filling in alongside regulars Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Tyus Jones.
Dunn for Booker was the only change, as the rest of Phoenix’s starting lineup was the same as the first two preseason games. Veteran offseason signing Mason Plumlee started at center while Jusuf Nurkic dealt with a finger injury.
Booker played 22 minutes in Tuesday’s preseason game against the Pistons in East Lansing and 14 minutes in Sunday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Booker scored 10 points on 13 shot attempts at Michigan.
Dunn, the No. 28 overall pick, stood out in Tuesday’s win with 10 points, four rebounds and two blocks in 17 minutes. He made three of five three-pointers, a welcome sign for the strong defender.
Dunn scored five points with four rebounds while shooting 1-for-5 from distance on Friday.
The Suns have two more preseason games after Friday, an away game at the Denver Nuggets on Sunday and a final home game against the Lakers on Thursday. The regular season begins on October 23rd when the Suns face the Los Angeles Clippers at the new Intuit Dome in Inglewood.
“We’ll probably train these guys a little bit over time and try to get them ready for the start of the regular season,” Budenholzer told reporters before the lineups revealed Booker’s illness. “I think there will be something similar tonight.”
