Suns Lose Brooks to Broken Hand, Booker Out

Dillon Brooks suffered a broken left hand and will be sidelined for an unspecified time after exiting Saturday’s home game against Orlando following contact on a contested jumper. He had five points in seven minutes before leaving. The injury comes with Devin Booker already out at least a week with a right hip strain and Haywood Highsmith still recovering from knee surgery, leaving Phoenix thin at their top two scorers while the Suns sit 32-24 and have lost four of five. Merlin sees a team suddenly forced to rely on depth and younger legs. Brooks is second on the team at a career-high 21.2 points per game, so Jalen Green must shoulder more offense while role players like Grayson Allen and Ryan Dunn take on larger minutes. A tough homestand next week versus Portland, Boston, and the Lakers will quickly show if Phoenix can hold its spot in the West.