Booker injured, should Phoenix be worried?
Time to turn it up a notch.
With Phoenix being the No. 1 overall seed, The Republic’s is upgrading its weekly “Suns Pulse” to, what else, “Suns Playoff Pulse,” for the postseason.
The Suns are looking to capture their first NBA title in franchise history after winning a franchise-record 64 games in the regular season, but they find themselves tied 1-1 with the sub .500 Pelicans in this best-of-7 Western Conference first round series.
Devin Booker suffered a strained right hamstring in the third quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss after scoring 31 points in the first half.
Phoenix likely will go into Game 3 and 4 this weekend without their three-time All-Star.
So how should the Suns feel right now?
Uh oh, oh no or oh ok?
Here’s a look back at the defending Western Conference champions through Tuesday’s Game 2, and ahead at a series that’ll have a Game 5 next Tuesday at Footprint Center in Phoenix.
Pulse reader: Been here before, but…
Chris Paul, Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson, Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet and Booker have missed at least 10 games in the regular season with a combination of injuries and being in the NBA’s health and safety protocols. So what?
The Suns still ruled the league.
The core of their team reached the finals last year.
So Phoenix has postseason experience as a group, roared through the NBA this season despite setbacks, but are minus-30 on the glass through two playoff games versus the Pelicans.
Brandon Ingram is coming off a 37point night in Game 2 and Pelicans coach Willie Green has more insight into the Suns than any other current head coach.
He was lead assistant under Monty Williams the previous two seasons.
Green considers Paul and Williams his “brothers” and has the Pelicans playing inspired basketball. New Orleans went though the play-in as a ninth seed and won two games with the second one coming in Los Angeles over the Clippers to take the eighth seed from them.
The Suns should advance, but New Orleans isn’t going to make it easy.
State of series
First round: Tied 1-1.
Game 1 – Suns 110, Pelicans 99: Chris Paul scored 19 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter. The Pelicans grabbed 25 offensive boards but shot just 37.9% from the field.
Game 2 – Pelicans 125, Suns 114: Booker left the game with 4:35 left in the third with Phoenix down 77-74.
New Orleans connected on 17-of-30 from deep.
Plus/Minus
Top plus total for the week – Chris Paul (Plus-8). Paul has posted a doubledouble each in Game 1 and Game 2, but has now lost 13 consecutive playoff games with Scott Foster working as a referee.
“That’s just classic Chris. At the right time, he takes over and we needed it,” – Suns coach Monty Williams on Paul’s Game 1 performance of 30 points and 10 assists.
Worst minus total for the week – Cam Johnson (Minus-8). Despite shooting 56.3% from the field though the first two playoff games, Johnson is 2-of-8 from 3 and only has five rebounds.
“I told my mom I was going to get 10 (rebounds) and I came out with one. She was mad. First thing she said, she looked at me and she said, ‘You promised me.’” – Johnson after Game 1.
Quotable: ‘I’m fine, that’s how they want to start the series then, so be it’
Ayton after Game 1 in which he took a wicked shoulder hit from Pelicans rookie Herbert Jones in the fourth quarter of Game 1.
The play was reviewed and ruled incidental contact as Jones was looking to get around Ayton to pick up Paul full court. Ayton had his head turned looking back while running forward when it happened.
Remaining first round schedule
Game 3 Friday – Suns at Pelicans, 6:30 p.m.
Game 4 Sunday – Suns at Pelicans, 6:30 p.m.
Game 5 Tuesday – Pelicans at Suns, 7 p.m.
Game 6 April 28 (if necessary) – Suns at Pelicans, TBD.
Game 7 April 30 (if necessary) – Pelicans at Suns, TBD.
Prediction: Suns in 6
Much will depend on the status of Booker, who likely will miss Games 3 and 4 with the hamstring injury.
Landry Shamet would likely get the start in place of Booker.
The 6-4 guard has had an uneven season in putting up career-low numbers in
his first year in Phoenix, but averaged 12.4 points and shot 40.9% from 3 in 14 starts.
The Suns should at least get one in New Orleans, if not both, but they shouldn’t need a Game 7 even if Booker misses the remainder of the series.
Up next?
The Pelicans-Suns winner faces the Jazz-Mavericks winner in the conference semifinals.
Their series is also tied 1-1.
Mavs All-Star Luka Doncic didn’t play Game 1 or 2 with a left calf strain, but he is listed as questionable for Game 3 Thursday in Salt Lake City.
Phoenix swept the regular season series over Dallas, 3-0, and went 3-1 against Utah.
Who needs to step up? Crowder and Ayton
Crowder is 2-of-15 from the field in two games (0-of-9 on 3s). He’s a streaky shooter and is due for a hot streak.
Ayton only took six shots in Game 2 (made 4) in scoring 10 points in 33 minutes.