Report: Suns’ Devin Booker appears unlikely to play in Games 3 and 4
Apr 20, 2022, 11:41 AM | Updated: 12:11 pm
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker appears unlikely to play in Games 3 and 4 after experiencing right hamstring tightness in a Game 2 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The team is calling the injury a mild hamstring strain. There is no timetable for his return.
Wojnarowski adds that an evaluation on the MRI results is still ongoing and the guard has not been ruled out for the remainder of the first-round playoff matchup.
The guard was injured late in the third quarter of Game 2 to the Pelicans at Footprint Center on Tuesday.
Here's what our camera caught of Devin Booker's injury… Book throws a towel on the bench and whatever he said to Jae Crowder isn't good. @12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/ZcNiPAA7yz
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) April 20, 2022
Booker was on his way to an impressive playoff showing before going down, recording 31 points on 12-of-19 shooting. All of his points came in the first half of the matchup.
With Booker likely sidelined, guard Landry Shamet could potentially see added minutes.
In 12 minutes on Tuesday, Shamet added five points on 2-of-3 shooting that including a three-ball.
Forward Cam Johnson could be another option for the Suns if they want to go with a bigger lineup of Chris Paul, Mikal Bridges, Johnson, Jae Crowder and Deandre Ayton.
Johnson played 26 minutes off the bench, scoring 11 points but failed to find his stroke from deep, finishing 1-for-6 in the contest. He was 4-of-10 shooting overall.
Phoenix will travel to New Orleans for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday in the Smoothie King Center before returning home for Game 5.