For a player proving too vital to lose, Dillon Brooks gave the Phoenix Suns a major scare Monday night. He is only in his first season with the team, and his recent Achilles injury, which came after shutting down the Los Angeles Lakers, was a bigger setback than initially expected. Brooks was cleared to play tonight’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves at the very last moment. But the second half showed he might be pushing the limits of his Achilles injury.

Brooks made a basket that would have extended the Suns’ lead, which was stuck at 72-71. But it was the player’s reaction that caught attention. He made an abrupt exit after the shot. He was walking on his own, without any assistance from the staff, and headed into the locker room.

After some wait, Brooks was back on the bench. Soon after, he was playing as if nothing had happened. He added another eight points to his tally, which tied both teams at 84 at the end of the third quarter.

The 29-year-old appears to be playing in 10-minute spurts and making those minutes count. He’s back in the fourth quarter and has already added two more points. Before the game, Dillon Brooks’ status was questionable. The official Suns report had stated he had Achilles soreness in his left leg.

The Suns keep a close eye on Dillon Brooks’ condition

The Suns need Dillon Brooks in the lineup for reasons other than the fact that he is averaging 22.3 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.6 steals in almost 32 minutes per contest this season. It’s because they’re also down Jalen Green (hamstring) and Devin Booker (groin).

While Dillon Brooks’ Achilles has been bothering him, the Suns have lost three of their last four games. They were still the underdogs going into tonight’s game, especially when Anthony Edwards was downgraded to questionable because of an illness. He did end up playing, though.

A pre-game workout cleared Brooks to join the game. Head coach Jordan Ott ruled him a game-time decision. And at the last second, the forward joined the starting lineup.

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In a very close game, the Suns kept a minor lead over the Timberwolves several times. Brooks played only a few minutes in the final quarter but helped his team win the game 108-105. In 31 minutes of action, he totaled 18 points, the last of which was a layup that put the Suns up 100-94.

We now wait for Ott to drop an update on the player’s setback before they visit the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday in the NBA Cup quarterfinals.