PHOENIX — Devin Booker will likely miss multiple playoff games after he suffered a hamstring injury in Game 2 of the NBA Playoffs against the Pelicans, forcing him to miss the entire fourth quarter.
Booker's hamstring injury is "believed to be mild," but he will likely miss Games 3 and 4 in New Orleans. However, Booker is not being ruled out of returning to the opening series against the Pelicans.
Booker previously missed seven games with a hamstring injury in November. If this injury is the same or similar, he could miss roughly 10 days. If the Suns-Pelicans series got to seven games, that finale would take place April 30.
The Pelicans stole one from the Suns in Phoenix on Tuesday night. Brandon Ingram had 37 points as the Pelicans went 17-for-30 from three and seemingly couldn't miss down the stretch in the fourth quarter.
Booker had 31 points at half and left the game in the third with 31 and played just 24 minutes.
The Suns will need to rely on increased scoring from others in the absence of Booker. Chris Paul went for 30 points in Game 1 and Mikal Bridges went for 19 in Game 2, as leading scorers other than Booker. Now Cam Johnson and Jae Crowder become very important as the Suns will be without Booker for at least two games.
Despite the Game 2 loss and Booker injury, Locked On Suns podcast host Brendon Kleen said there's no reason to think the Suns can't win the next three games in this series.
"They have not looked anything like themselves through 96 minutes," Kleen said. "Yes you can point to rebounding, yes you can point to Brandon Ingram. But the Suns can win Game 3, they can win Game 4, they can win Game 5 and end this. They absolutely have the means to win this series and the way they played in Game 2 doesn't change that for me, Devin Booker's injury doesn't change that for me."
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