Devin Booker He had another stellar post-season performance on Tuesday. He scored 31 points in 25 minutes, even at one point patched baby Sit on the field. With Phoenix in the lead against the 8th seed New Orleans PelicansThe suns It looked like they were on their way to a 2-0 lead in the series.
But in the third quarter, Booker returned to the locker room apparently injured. Suns coach Monty Williams then revealed that Booker had been dealing with a hamstring problem that kept him out for most of the second half. The Suns, a fierce home favorite, lost Game 2 to the Pelicans, 125-114, and found themselves chained in their series to one match each.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, It is unlikely that Booker will play in games 3 and 4 of the Suns’ first-round series. However, Booker’s right hamstring strain is believed to be mild and he has not been left off the chain yet, according to Wojnarowski.
The Suns star’s MRI results are still being evaluated before a formal decision can be made.
“We will have more information (Wednesday),” said Suns coach Monty Williams. He said the following is a game 2. “We’ve played without Chris (Paul) and Cook before. If we have to play without Bock, the next guy. We’ve been doing that all year.”
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Now the series will be moving to New Orleans, and while the Suns will remain a favorite with or without Booker, the pressure is suddenly on Phoenix. They no longer have the home court advantage in this series, and while they had an 8-3 record in 11 games they played without Booker before the top seed was decided, playoffs are another matter entirely. Seven of those missed games were due to a hamstring injury Booker suffered in November, and while there is no indication of how serious that match was, that one kept him out just under three weeks. Generating an attack without the top scorer is much longer when teams play you multiple times in a short period.
All Suns can hope for at the moment is a positive diagnosis for Booker’s tendonitis. The hamstrings can be a fickle part of the body when it comes to injuries, like fellow Booker Chris Paul He knows very well. The Suns may be able to escape the first round without Booker, but they need him if they plan to return to the NBA Finals.
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