The Suns fear that Jalen Green could miss multiple games after aggravating his right hamstring strain in Saturday’s win over the Clippers, according to Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic.
Green felt a sharp pain after passing the ball to Ryan Dunn for a corner three-point shot late in the first quarter, Rankin writes. Green hobbled toward the team’s bench while grabbing at the hamstring and had to be helped off the court by two staff members. He was declared out for the game shortly afterward.
Green was playing for just the second time since being acquired from Houston during the summer as part of the seven-team Kevin Durant trade. After missing the season’s first eight games due to the hamstring, Green scored 29 points on Thursday in his debut.
“That’s tough,” teammate Dillon Brooks told reporters. “Injuries suck, but he’ll work hard. He’ll be diligent with it.”
Medical imaging on the hamstring will likely be conducted when the Suns return home, tweets John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7, who estimates that Green could sidelined for another four-to-six weeks.
That would be a tremendous loss for a Suns team that has gotten off to a promising 5-5 start after last year’s disappointing season. However, new head coach Jordan Ott made it clear that his expectations won’t change.
“This team will have no excuses,” Ott said. “We lace them up, go out and play.” He also expressed sympathy for Green, adding, “You just feel for him. He worked so hard to get back.”
Dunn and Grayson Allen may see more playing time while Green is unavailable.
Phoenix got some positive injury news on Saturday as Brooks returned to the lineup after missing six games with a core muscle strain. He had 16 points, two rebounds and three assists in 28 minutes, including a late three-pointer that helped to quell a Clippers comeback.