Jalen Green’s Hamstring Strain: Suns Guard Faces Another Evaluation, Lakers Prepare for Tuesday Matchup
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The Phoenix Suns will re-evaluate guard Jalen Green in 2-3 weeks for his ongoing right hamstring strain, the team announced Monday, December 22nd. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers will be significantly shorthanded for their Tuesday, December 23rd, contest against Phoenix, with several key players ruled out due to injury.
Green’s Recovery Timeline Continues
The Suns initially announced Green would be re-evaluated in 4-to-6 weeks on November 11th, entering the sixth week of that timeline on Monday. Despite the extended recovery period, the team remains optimistic about his progress. “Still great progress,” a Suns coach stated after Monday’s practice. “I think everything is headed in the right direction.”
Green has missed the Suns’ past 18 games after initially sustaining the injury in training camp and then re-aggravating it during a team trip to China for preseason games against Brooklyn. He managed to play in two games with his new team, making his debut on November 6th against the Los Angeles Clippers at Mortgage Matchup Center, where he delivered a record-breaking performance.
In that debut, Green scored 29 points, including six 3-pointers – the most ever in a Suns debut – leading Phoenix to a 115-102 victory. However, just two days later, the hamstring injury resurfaced during a road win against the Los Angeles Clippers. The 23-year-old, acquired in the Kevin Durant trade prior to the 2025 NBA Draft, has played only those two games for Phoenix after a streak of consistent appearances in his previous two seasons with the Houston Rockets.
Lakers Face Injury Challenges
The Lakers will be without Luka Doncic (lower left leg contusion), Rui Hachimura (right groin soreness), and Gabe Vincent (lumbar back strain) for Tuesday’s game. Austin Reaves (left calf strain) is listed as questionable.
Allen’s Status for Tuesday
The Suns are also monitoring the status of Grayson Allen, who has missed the past two games with a right knee injury. Allen, currently averaging a career-high 16.3 points per game, is listed as doubtful for Tuesday’s matchup. A Suns coach noted Allen is “doing more and more each day,” adding that swelling in the knee has subsided and he participated in most of Monday’s practice.
The Suns (15-13) will host the Lakers (19-8) at Mortgage Matchup Center on Tuesday, December 23rd.