The Phoenix Suns are scheduled to face the Denver Nuggets for a Christmas Day game on Wednesday. However, Phoenix will not have the services of shooting guard Devin Booker on the court for that contest, as the former Kentucky Wildcats star has already been ruled out for that contest with a lower-body issue (h/t to Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports).

“Devin Booker is out for Christmas Day against the Nuggets, now being listed with a left groin strain instead of soreness. Grayson Allen (concussion protocol), Bol Bol (left knee contusion), Collin Gillespie (two-way) and TyTy Washington (two-way) are all out as well.”

Booker, who is averaging 25.1 points and 6.4 assists per game in the 2024-25 NBA campaign, missed the last two Suns assignments after he suffered the injury in last Thursday's 120-111 loss at home at the hands of the visiting Indiana Pacers. He scored 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the floor to go with six assists, two rebounds and a steal in 25 minutes of action versus the Pacers before leaving the game in the third quarter.

Since then, the Suns have gone winless in two games without him, as they suffered an upset 133-125 defeat to the Detroit Pistons at home on Saturday followed by a 117-90 loss to the Nuggets at Ball Arena in Denver.

Suns to play Nuggets without Devin Booker again

Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) and guard Devin Booker (1) speak after a play against the Utah Jazz during the first quarter at Delta Center.
Rob Gray-Imagn Images
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Royce O'Neale has been inserted into the Suns' starting lineup amid Booker's injury, but he hasn't done much yet. In the last two games, Neale has scored just a total of 17 points on a 40.0 percent shooting from the floor, five rebounds, five assists and three turnovers through 63 minutes.

Nevertheless, O'Neale can be expected to get another starting nod for the Suns in the rematch versus Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets. Meanwhile, Kevin Durant will get a heavier workload with Booker sidelined. Durant has been fantastic with or without Booker, and in the last two contests, the former NBA Most Valuable Player averaged 33.0 points on a 53.7 field goal percentage.

As a team, the Suns are 12th in the NBA so far in the 2024-25 regular season with an average of 113.4 points per game but they have put up just 107.5 points in the last two outings while also shooting 48.4 percent from the field.

The Suns will enter Wednesday's Nuggets showdown on the heels of a three-game losing skid and with a 14-14 record.

With Booker's status for the Nuggets game known, the soonest he can return to action will be on Friday when the Suns host Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. After that, Phoenix will hit the road for a meeting with the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco.