The Phoenix Suns went down in a disappointing 121-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs tonight, and things only got worse from there. Star guard Devin Booker, who has already missed chunks of the season due to minor injuries, had to exit tonight after suffering a hip injury. Now, his status has been updated by head coach Jordan Ott.

“I just probably heard the same as you guys heard – right hip soreness,” Ott told reporters in his postgame conference. “Obviously, tried to go back out there. We just saved himself from himself.”

Booker exited tonight’s game twice, once with about five minutes left on the clock in the first quarter, then once again late in the second quarter before being ruled out for the rest of the night at halftime. According to Ott, the coaching staff sensed something might be off during an early timeout.

The coach explained that he looked for Booker in the first timeout, but that the guard went back into the game anyway, and it wasn’t until right after that when it was made clear to him that Booker wasn’t quite right. However, there is a silver lining with Booker’s injury.

“It wasn’t the ankle,” Ott said, referring to a previous injury that Booker has dealt with. “I tried to assess and then he felt good enough to come back in. And the first couple of times up and down, I didn’t notice anything. And then I definitely noticed there at the end of that second stint that he was not right. So yeah, something just popped up.”

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For now, there’s no timeline for Booker’s return, and things should become clearer as the team takes a closer look. His next chance to suit up will be against the Orlando Magic on Saturday.

In Devin Booker’s Absence, Jordan Ott Praises Key Suns Player Jalen Green

With Devin Booker sidelined tonight, guard Jalen Green stepped up. Green arrived in Phoenix this offseason in the blockbuster Kevin Durant deal, but has spent a majority of the season sidelined with hamstring issues, and has logged just seven games played with Booker. Tonight marked his third start, and he finished with 26 points in 26 minutes.

“The most important part is the minutes,” Ott told reporters. “He’s been able to play more minutes… Obviously, we would love his reps out there with our full group so we can all learn together… As the game progressed, I thought he just got more and more comfortable. The best part about it was 26 minutes. It feels pretty good.”

Ott seemed to like Green‘s growing comfort level with the team, and his improving conditioning is a key factor for integrating him into the rotation as Phoenix prepares to head into the second half of the season.

With the playoffs looming in just a few months, Green’s role could expand even further if Booker is forced to miss more time. For now, all the team can do is wait for more clarity regarding the star’s hip issues.