PHOENIX -- The Suns got a scare Wednesday night when Luke Kennard left their fourth preseason game against the San Antonio Spurs with a left knee injury.
The injury happened with just under seven minutes left in the second quarter. After a floater, Kennard appeared to come up hobbled, grabbed at his left knee and headed to the locker room. He did not return.
There was at least some relief after the game. Kennard was able to walk off the court, and coach Jordan Ott described the issue as a sore left knee.
"I don't know exactly what it is," Ott added (via The Arizona Republic's Duane Rankin). "Just talked to him briefly.
He seemed like he was in good spirits. We'll see more tomorrow."
Kennard's exit stings a little more because Phoenix had already kept several regulars out. Devin Booker, Jalen Green, Miles Bridges, Dillon Brooks, Collin Gillespie and Oso Ighodaro all sat, leaving Kennard as one of the few rotation pieces on the floor.
That made his preseason showing even more important, and he had been delivering. Kennard has emerged as one of the Suns' biggest standouts this month, leaning into his shot, handling the ball and creating for others in ways that fit what Phoenix wants around the rest of its roster.
His best night came in the Suns' lone preseason win over the Spurs on Saturday, when he dropped 20 points.
Kennard has also sounded energized about the role he can carve out in Phoenix. The Suns want him to boost his shot volume and help replace some of what Grayson Allen and Royce O'Neale brought before they were traded away this summer.
"I really believe that this is a great fit for me and who I am as a player and the way that I play," Kennard said after Saturday's game. "There's a lot of just freedom of movement out there, and those connections are huge when it comes to that. Just knowing the type of spots that you're going to be in, shots that you want to take.
"I've played with a couple of these guys, like (Jordan Goodwin), I played with him. I played with (Dillon Brooks) before back in Memphis.
I know some guys. I've asked a lot of questions about the group, getting close with some guys.
It's been a lot of fun, and like I said, I think the fit is really good."
Phoenix has one preseason game left Friday night against the Utah Jazz, and Kennard seems likely to sit that one out, even if the team treats it as a precaution.
With the Oct. 21 season opener against the Portland Trail Blazers now less than a week away, the Suns will be hoping the news on Kennard stays as mild as it sounded Wednesday night. If it doesn’t, they may need to find another answer quickly for shooting and playmaking off the bench, with Jamaree Bouyea a candidate to see a bigger role.
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