Phoenix Suns' Devin Booker has Grade 1 hamstring strain, sources say

Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker has suffered a Grade 1 right hamstring strain, sources told ESPN's Brian Windhorst on Thursday.

The injury typically requires 2-3 weeks of recovery, but the Pelicans are preparing as if Booker will be back sooner than the standard timetable.

Sources told ESPN on Wednesday that Booker would likely miss Games 3 and 4 against the New Orleans Pelicans and that the Suns were still evaluating his MRI results to get a full picture of the injury and a clearer timeline for a return.

Booker scored 31 points in the first half of a 125-114 loss to the Pelicans in Game 2, but he didn't score in the third quarter. With 4:45 left in the period, he immediately asked for a timeout and went to the locker room after appearing to tweak his right hamstring as he was jumping to challenge a Jaxson Hayes dunk in transition.

The first-round playoff series is 1-1 entering Game 3 on Friday in New Orleans.

Booker has had hamstring issues for the past two seasons. In November, he strained his left hamstring on a play similar to Tuesday's and missed seven games. Last year during the NBA Finals, he suffered a hamstring injury in Game 3 but played through it and kept it a secret at the time. During the 2020-21 regular season, he also had a left hamstring injury and missed four games.

The Suns were 8-6 in games without Booker this season.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski contributed to this report.