Injured Devin Booker out Game 4, Phoenix Suns up 2-1 over New Orleans Pelicans

NEW ORLEANS — Devin Booker was putting the finishing touches on knocking down corner 3s inside the University of New Orleans’ auxiliary gym before ending Saturday's practice with free throws.

He didn’t do much more than that, though.

“Few shots on the floor, but nothing,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “Didn’t break a sweat or anything like that.”

Booker will miss his second straight playoff game with a right hamstring strain as the top-seeded Suns head into Sunday’s Game 4 with a 2-1 series lead after Friday’s 114-111 win over the Pelicans.

“Every game has its own identity,’ Williams said. “I think we have to approach it that way.”

More: Phoenix Suns vs. New Orleans Pelicans score, live updates for NBA Playoffs series Game 4

Booker suffered the injury in the third quarter of Tuesday’s Game 2 loss in Phoenix.

The three-time All-Star made the trip to New Orleans, has been rehabbing and stretching the hamstring, but doesn’t appear close to playing.

NBA: SCOREBOARD | STANDINGS | STATISTICS

Without Booker, Deandre Ayton and Chris Paul scored a combined 56 points with each scoring 28 in Friday’s victory.

It was a playoff career high for Ayton, who also grabbed 17 rebounds.

“We needed him,” Suns wing Mikal Bridges said. “Obviously Book out, (Ayton) came out and he dominated, man. That’s what he does and I’m happy for him.”

The Suns went 5-2 when Booker missed seven games with a left hamstring strain and 3-1 when he was in the league’s health and safety protocols after testing positive for COVID-19.

Phoenix has clearly played well without Booker but still had to adjust without him not on the floor Friday.

“He’s just such a threat,” Bridges said. “Just play in point-5. (Paul) has the ball a little it more and us making a play when he gets blitzed. Just being aggressive after that.”

Having Paul makes that adjustment easier.

The 12-time All-Star scored 19 points in the fourth quarter Friday night. It’s the second time he’s racked up 19 points in the fourth of this series as he did it in Game 1’s win last Sunday.

“Helps when you have a guy like CP, who can really take over in that clutch time,” said Suns forward Cam Johnson as Paul finished with 14 assists Friday.

When is player is out multiple games in the regular season, the impact isn’t felt the same because a team is facing a different opponent each night.

That isn’t the case in a series as teams are seeing the same foe each game.

Now Phoenix will look to adjust to whatever the Pelicans do in reacting to playing against the Suns minus Booker in a series, but they experienced that in Game 1 and Game 2 of last year’s conference finals against the Clippers when Paul was out in the league’s health protocols.

“It’s hard because I probably wouldn’t have an answer had we not gone through it last year, but we did when he didn’t have Chris,” Williams said. “You could see the different adjustments that teams will make because of that. It’s harder to say what New Orleans is going to do and sometimes, you can overthink it, but when Book’s not out there, we play a little bit differently.”

The Suns relied more on ball movement without Booker, one of the league’s best one-on-one players, and tallied 26 assists.

“He can create on his own a lot,” Bridges said. “Other guys, we create, too, but it’s a little bit more point-5 because it’s easy for him to create his own shot than it is for us. Just relying on each other and just trusting each other.”

Williams started Cam Johnson in place of Booker to help the Suns defend Jaxson Hayes. If the Pelicans were to start say Trey Murphy III, Phoenix could counter with Landry Shamet starting for Booker.

Shamet and Murphy III started the second half after Hayes was ejected in the second quarter. He shoved Jae Crowder to the floor, Crowder responded to draw a technical foul, but the play was reviewed.

Hayes’ shove was ruled a Flagrant 2 and the Pelicans forward was tossed with 5:13 left in the first half and game tied at 43-43.

Phoenix closed the half on a 16-5 run to take a 59-48 halftime lead.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

Support local journalism. Start your online subscription.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Injured Devin Booker out Game 4 as Phoenix Suns up 2-1 over Pelicans