The Phoenix Suns suffered a blow on Monday night when guard Josh Okogie had to leave their 130-104 win over the Los Angeles Lakers due to right hip soreness.
At the beginning of the fourth quarter, the team announced that Okogie would not return to the game, and head coach Monty Williams later revealed that the injury had occurred in the first half.
Despite the injury, Okogie played for 10 minutes, scoring three points on 1-of-5 shooting (20%), with three rebounds and one steal.
This is a particularly difficult blow for the Suns, who were already dealing with several injuries to key players.
All-Star guard Devin Booker is currently dealing with groin soreness, while backup center Jock Landale is in concussion protocol, and guard Duane Washington Jr.
is dealing with a hip strain. Backup point guard Cam Payne is also recovering from a right foot strain, and forwards Cameron Johnson and Jae Crowder are currently unavailable.
As a result, the Suns could only dress out 10 active players for Monday's game: Okogie, Deandre Ayton, Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges, Torrey Craig, Landry Shamet, Bismack Biyombo, Damion Lee, Dario Saric, and Ish Wainright.
Losing Okogie means the team will have even fewer options as they try to navigate through a challenging season. Okogie is in his third season with the Suns and has been a key part of the team's rotation this year.
He is averaging 7.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 37.9% from the field and 32.7% from three-point range. His defensive skills have also been a valuable asset for the team, and his absence will be keenly felt.
It is currently unclear how long Okogie will be out of action, and the Suns will be hoping that the injury is not too serious and that he will be able to return to the court as soon as possible.
In the meantime, the team will have to rely on their remaining players to step up and fill the gap left by Okogie's absence.