NBA Rumors: Devin Booker to miss Games 3 and 4 vs. Pelicans

NBA Rumors: According to recent reporting, Devin Booker is expected to miss the remainder of the Phoenix Suns’ first-round NBA Playoff series vs. New Orleans.

Entering the NBA Playoffs, the Phoenix Suns were considered the favorite to win the 2022 NBA Championship. However, if they’re going to follow through with that expectation, the Suns are going to have to survive, for at least a few games, in their first-round playoff series against the New Orleans Pelicans without Devin Booker.

Booker injured his hamstring in the Suns’ Tuesday night’s Game 2 loss against the Pelicans. He left in the third quarter and didn’t return during the game.

He has officially been diagnosed with a mild hamstring string that will likely keep him out for Games 3 and 4, and perhaps longer.

With the series tied at one game apiece as the series shifts to New Orleans, this is certainly an interesting situation that has surfaced for the Suns. And you’d have to think that his future availability will likely hinge on where the Suns stand after the next two games.

If Phoenix is able to regain control of this series with Booker out of the lineup, the safe play would be to sit him until at least the second round of the playoffs. Or until he’s fully healthy.

However, if the series is tied at two games apiece or, worst-case scenario, the Suns are down 3-1 heading back to Phoenix, Booker may have to push through the injury to try to salvage the season.

However, that’s a lot of “ifs” and “buts” that may or may not end up playing out.

The good news is that Booker is not severely injured and that he will likely be able to return either toward the end of this series or at the start of the second round. For everything that the Suns have on the line this postseason, this has to be considered the best-case scenario considering what could’ve been the outcome of Tuesday night’s injury scare.