He scored 31 points (12-for-19 shooting) in the first half before sustaining a right hamstring strain and leaving the game in the third quarter. Booker leapt to contest a fastbreak dunk by New Orleans’ Jaxson Hayes on the play before he left, but it was not immediately obvious whether he was injured.
When he exited, the Suns trailed 77-74 with 4 minutes, 35 seconds remaining in the fourth. Landry Shamet, who stepped in for Booker in Game 1 of the series, ended with five points on 2-for-3 shooting in 11 minutes.
Booker returned to the game in warmups at the start of the fourth quarter and never re-entered the game. Earlier in the season, he missed several games due to a hamstring injury. There was no information on Booker’s condition or if the injury will keep him out through Tuesday. Chris Paul, the Suns’ guard, stated that the injury was not an excuse for the defeat.
“We have a number of men who are more than capable of stepping up,” Paul explained. “The book was awful. He was putting on a show, but it is what it is.” The Suns undoubtedly missed Booker in the fourth quarter, but their inconsistent transition defense throughout the evening had a larger role in the defeat.
“That was perhaps the worst changeover we’ve ever had in my time here,” Williams remarked. “To have it happen during a playoff game was unnerving for everyone.” Booker, who is expected to get some Kia MVP votes this season, was key in Phoenix’s 110-99 Game 1 triumph, scoring 25 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists. Williams said that the club will learn the degree of Booker’s injury “after the game.”
