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Suns' Devin Booker rolls his ankle and Jalen Green also hurt in loss to Hawks

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Suns' Devin Booker rolls his ankle and Jalen Green also hurt in loss to Hawks
Sport

Sport

Suns' Devin Booker rolls his ankle and Jalen Green also hurt in loss to Hawks

2026-01-24 12:48 Last Updated At:12:50

ATLANTA (AP) — The Phoenix Suns lost guards Devin Booker and Jalen Green to injuries in a 110-103 loss to the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.

Booker, a four-time All-Star, went down with 5 seconds remaining in the third quarter after rolling his ankle on the foot of Hawks' Onyeka Okongwu. He was on the floor for several minutes before walking to the training room under his own power — albeit limping and appearing to be in significant pain.

“Right ankle, rolled it on someone else’s foot. Pretty unlucky, so we’ll just have to take a look when we get back to Phoenix,” Suns coach Jordan Ott said. “Book really figured it out in the third quarter. It felt like, you know, he’d been doing so much for us all season long and then there he was in his flow state. That’s the tough part about it, but I know he bounces back incredibly fast.”

Booker scored 31 points in 28 minutes before the injury, including 16 in the third. He came in averaging a team-best 25.3 points and 6.3 assists.

Green's first-quarter exit was quieter. Ott said he didn't see the injury and that Green reported feeling pain during a timeout. It was the guard's second game since returning from a right hamstring injury that sidelined him for 33 games.

“Jalen, got a little tightness. For precautionary reasons, took him out,” Ott said. “Jalen’s worked every single day to get back to go out and play basketball, and then basketball is taken away. So, it's tough. It's tough for his teammates, tough for him.”

The Suns play at Miami on Sunday night before heading back to Phoenix. Ott said both injuries will be assessed once the team is home.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) dunks against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) dunks against the Atlanta Hawks during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) winces in pain during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) winces in pain during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) drives against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

Atlanta Hawks guard CJ McCollum (3) drives against Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)

TORONTO (AP) — Mitch Marner stepped on the ice for warmups and heard some boos during an initial lap around a rink he knows well.

The Vegas Golden Knights winger experienced more jeers on his first shift. That noise only got louder when Marner finally touched the puck, followed by an unexpected ovation after heading to the bench.

In his first game back at Scotiabank Arena since a drawn-out divorce with the Toronto Maple Leafs was finalized last summer, Marner felt a range of emotions Friday night.

And left with a 6-3 victory.

“Passionate fan base,” Marner said. “They love their team. It was interesting the whole night. When warmups hit, it really just felt odd and weird.”

The Maple Leafs honored Marner, who spent nine seasons in Toronto playing for the team he cheered for as a kid, during the first television timeout. There was a mixture of boos and cheers throughout the 40-second video tribute as many fans rose to their feet. Marner raised his right arm and tapped his chest in acknowledgment with Vegas already up 2-0.

“I was trying to just take it in and not get emotional,” he said. “Still got a lot of love for these fans.”

Asked if there was a sense of relief the homecoming was finally over, Marner replied with a smile: “Completely, definitely, honestly.”

Vegas captain Mark Stone thought the atmosphere hit the right notes all night.

“You’re expecting boos, right?” Stone said. ”(Marner) doesn’t play for the Maple Leafs anymore, but they tip their cap to what he did for this organization.”

Drafted fourth overall in 2015, Marner enjoyed plenty of regular-season success with the Maple Leafs, but was a lightning rod of criticism in hockey’s biggest media market for Toronto’s inability to break through in the playoffs.

A slow march out the door from his de facto hometown last season as unrestricted free agency loomed finally ended when he was shipped to Vegas in a sign-and-trade deal that netted Marner an eight-year, $96 million extension.

“That (booing) was fine,” he said. “I knew was it going to come … the cheering when I was going off was pretty funny. I didn’t see that one coming.”

Marner, who picked up two assists in a 6-5 overtime victory against his old team on the Las Vegas Strip last week, has 12 goals and 40 assists in 50 games this season.

“Our guys were going to try to bring their best for Mitch,” Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said. “And they did.’

Marner’s new club sits comfortably in a playoff position atop the Pacific Division standings, while Toronto is on the outside in the Eastern Conference post-season race.

“The booing I had, it was what I expected,” he said. “Tried to play through it, play with the puck, play my game. And do my thing.”

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner (93) tries a wrap around on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner (93) tries a wrap around on Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) during third period NHL hockey action in Toronto on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Shea Theodore (27), Pavel Dorofeyev (16) and Mitch Marner (93) celebrate a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Shea Theodore (27), Pavel Dorofeyev (16) and Mitch Marner (93) celebrate a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Toronto on Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner (93) and Toronto Maple Leafs' Nicolas Roy, right, battle for the puck during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner (93) and Toronto Maple Leafs' Nicolas Roy, right, battle for the puck during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner warms up before playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner warms up before playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner, center, waves to the crowd as they have a tribute to him while playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner, center, waves to the crowd as they have a tribute to him while playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner warms up before playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights forward Mitch Marner warms up before playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, in NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner (93) waves to the crowd as they have a tribute to him while playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

Vegas Golden Knights' Mitch Marner (93) waves to the crowd as they have a tribute to him while playing against his former team, the Toronto Maple Leafs, during first-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

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