Report: Suns' Devin Booker to miss 2-3 weeks with Grade 1 hamstring strain
The Phoenix Suns have gotten some not great news about Devin Booker. According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, the hamstring strain Booker suffered in Game 2 against the New Orleans Pelicans is a Grade 1 strain, and will keep him off the court for 2-3 weeks.
Booker sustained the strain in the third quarter of Tuesday's 125-114 loss to the Pelicans. With about five minutes left, he immediately left the game after jumping to block a dunk.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Booker would miss Games 3 and 4 against the Pelicans and had no timetable for his return. Having a timetable is certainly better than not having one, but 2-3 weeks is far from ideal for the Suns. The series against the Pelicans will go at least three more games and possibly more, and if they win that without him, they Booker-less Suns will have to face either the Dallas Mavericks or the New Orleans Jazz in the next round. The Mavs-Jazz series, just like the Suns-Pels series, is currently tied 1-1.
The Suns had a 64-18 record in the regular season, the best in the NBA. Booker, the team's homegrown star, averaged a career-high 26.8 points in 68 games during the regular season, plus 5.0 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. The Suns have been the clear favorite with bettors to win their first-ever NBA championship, but Booker's prolonged absence might change that a bit.
Hamstring issues have been a recurring theme over the last year or so of Booker's career. He had two last year, one during the regular season and one during the playoffs, which cost him four total games. The strain Booker suffered on Tuesday is actually his second of the current season. He had one in November that cost him seven games.
