AUSTIN — Phoenix Suns head coach Jordan Ott has been waiting patiently all season to have a healthy roster.
It looks as if he’ll have to wait even longer.
The Suns came out of the NBA All-Star break healthy, but they couldn’t get through an entire morning shootaround without Grayson Allen suffering a right ankle sprain that sidelined him for the Thursday, Feb. 19, game against the San Antonio Spurs.
“Just happened,” Ott said pregame. “Shootaround. Weird instances. Quick tweak. They tried it here pregame. Not able to go.”
Then, Devin Booker couldn’t play the second half after dealing with right hip soreness in the first half.
“Tried to go back out there," Ott said after the game. “Save himself from himself. Wanted to go out and play. Wasn't moving great when he came back in."
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives against San Antonio Spurs guard De'aaron Fox (4) during the first half in Austin, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.
The Spurs ultimately finished off Phoenix in convincing fashion, 121-94, before a sellout crowd of 16,258 at Moody Center on the University of Texas campus.
The loss was bad enough. San Antonio led by as many as 32 points.
Losing Booker and Allen made it worse.
“I just want to see the guys play together,” Ott said. “That's it. That's it and I probably didn't handle it right in game when we get the news."
Booker scored just five points on 2-of-6 shooting in nine minutes. He first checked out with 5:24 left in the first quarter and didn't return until 4:46 left in the first half. Booker then checked out again with 2:35 left in the first half and didn't return.
"He felt good enough to come back in and the first couple of times up and down, I didn't notice anything and then definitely noticed there at the end of that second stint," Ott said.
Phoenix also was without Dillon Brooks, who served his one-game suspension after picking up his 16th technical foul of the season in a loss Feb. 11 to the Thunder right before the All-Star break. With 26 games remaining in the regular season, Brooks will receive an additional one-game suspension for every second technical foul he receives (18th, 20th, 22nd, etc.).
"He's good,” Suns big Oso Ighodaro said about Brooks. “He's not going get anymore techs. We already talked to him about it. He's done for the season with those.”
The Suns (32-24) are 2-5 in their last seven games, while the Spurs (39-16) have won seven straight games and are just 2.5 games behind defending NBA champion Oklahoma City in the Western Conference.
Phoenix continues play at home on Saturday, Feb. 21, for a 3 p.m. game against the Orlando Magic.
Here are additional takeaways from the game.
Green a bright spot
Jalen Green played long enough to feel fatigued — and that’s a good thing.
Playing a season-high 26 minutes, Green scored a game-high 26 points on 11-of-23 shooting (4-of-9 from 3) in just his eighth game of the season.
Phoenix Suns guard Jalen Green, right, shoots against San Antonio Spurs forward Victor Wembanyama (1) during the first half in Austin, Texas, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026.
“I feel good,” Green said. “It's the first time I've felt this good the entire season.”
Green played every game in his previous two seasons with the Houston Rockets, but a right hamstring injury has limited him all season. He also missed three games after suffering a hip contusion Jan. 30 against Cleveland, but the hamstring is what has made his first season in Phoenix a nightmare.
Green has remained positive, but being able to play with his usual fluidity, change of direction and speed has given him much-needed peace of mind.
“Feel like I was able to attack the rim a little bit more,” Green said. “More misses than makes, but overall, just being able to trust my legs and attack.”
Green was back in the starting lineup for the first time since his first two games with the Suns in November. He came off the bench for the first time in his life the next five games he played in, as the Suns monitored his minutes, keeping some in store if Green was needed to play in the fourth quarter.
Green and Booker have played 65 total minutes together over seven games.
That’s not even a sample size, but Green doesn’t want Booker to rush back too fast.
“It's been tough,” Green said. “He started the year off playing every game and I was out the whole time. It's only one game. He can take his time. By the time he gets back, I'll have my rhythm. He's already going to have his rhythm. DB coming back."
Depending on how long Booker and Allen are out, Green will likely remain in the starting lineup, but what happens if the Suns do reach full strength?
Green should remain a starter, but who will have to come off the bench? Collin Gillespie? Royce O’Neale? Allen?
Staying aggressive despite injuries
The Suns, for the most part, have found ways to overcome injury setbacks and play above preseason expectations.
“We wanted to use the break, everybody get healthy, but unfortunately, these things happen, especially in the game of basketball,” O’Neale said. “All season has been up and down, guys in and out the lineup. Just keep going.”
The Suns must return to creating that havoc in which they generate turnovers and score off them in abundance.
Phoenix is third in the NBA in forcing turnovers this season at 16.7 a game and third in points off turnovers at 20.7. But in February alone, the Suns are 10th in forcing turnovers at 14.9 and 25th in points off turnovers at 14.4.
In their last game before the break, the Suns only forced Oklahoma City into eight turnovers and scored just eight points off them.
Against the Spurs, the Suns forced 12 turnovers, but only scored 13 points off them.
Highsmith joins Suns, Anthony ‘not with team’
Haywood Highsmith has officially signed with the Suns, who are optimistic the 6-foot-5 forward will play this season after having surgery in August to repair a meniscal tear in his right knee he suffered while training in Baltimore.
Highsmith, who was a free agent, has yet to play this season, but he dunked during a workout after morning shootaround on Thursday with a wrap on his right leg.
“We're excited to have him,” Ott said pregame. “Right now, he just continues to go through more testing with our group. Similar to everyone else, when they come into our group, we'll have a plan. Get him back out there.”
The Suns continue to list Cole Anthony “not with team,” as Ott said there’s no update on whether he will join Phoenix.
“They’re still working through that,” Ott said pregame.
The Suns acquired Amir Coffey and Anthony from the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team deal with the Chicago Bulls. Nick Richards joined the Bulls, and Nigel Hayes-Davis was sent to the Bucks. Chicago dealt Ousmane Dieng to Milwaukee.
