Suns guard Devin Booker is already walking under his own power, a good sign considering he had to be carried off the court after straining his left adductor muscle late in Wednesday's (AEDT) loss to the Raptors.
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“I’ve never felt a pain like that where I couldn’t even walk,” Booker told reporters Friday (via AZCentral.com). “After the game, it was hard for me to take off my jersey. But like I said, I’m happy with how I feel now and I’m progressing every day.”
After an MRI, the team anounced Wednesday the guard woud miss two to three weeks. General manager Ryan McDonough classified it as a moderate strain.
That Booker is expected back within three weeks is good news considering how scary the injury initially appeared.
ohhhhhhh nooo... Devin Booker was carried off the floor after suffering an injury... pic.twitter.com/eNCIZGRVmY
— Def Pen Hoops (@DefPenHoops) December 6, 2017
“It just locked up. I thought it was a cramp at first,” Booker said. “I’ve dealt with cramps before. Usually it cramps up and it’ll let you move. I tried to move my leg back and it wasn’t going anywhere. People said I was doing the mannequin challenge. I couldn’t even move.
“I don’t ever want to be carried off the court. If I could have walked, I would have walked off, but we had to resume the game so my big fellas had to help me out.”
The third-year guard out of Kentucky is averaging 24.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game this season. Booker said he won't try to rush back to action, because groin injuries can be easily aggravated.
“I like to think of myself as somebody who heals fast and can play through pain, but I’m not going to rush it at the same time,” he said. “A sprained ankle, those are things I can fight through. This injury I’ve never had before. I’ll be a lot more cautious with this one.”
Rookie Josh Jackson is getting more playing time in Booker's absence.