Will Devin Booker Play Tonight? Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers’: Injury Updates, Lineup and Game Prediction

After what went down between the Phoenix Suns and the Portland Trail Blazers’ the last time they met, it’s time for the Blazers’ to save face. They got defeated brutally 132-100 as the Suns’ star player Devin Booker led the way for his team.

Even now, Phoenix is way ahead in the race in the West when compared to the Blazers. While they stand second with a 24-11 score, the Blazers are fifth with a 21-14 record. Both will look to defeat the other in their first game of the second half of the season.

The Phoenix Suns injury updates and lineup prediction

Before the All-Star break, the Phoenix Suns were in stellar form by winning eight of their ten games. They are on a four-game winning streak, and they will look to clinch their fifth win when they go up against the Blazers. The fact that they hardly lost in the month of February propelled them closer to taking over the Utah Jazz, who hold the best record in the West.

The man who carried them to their last victory against Portland is likely to play this matchup, but it’s possible that this might change too. Devin Booker suffered a knee injury just before the All-Star break and couldn’t participate in that event either. If he doesn’t play, the Suns might be looking at a loss.

Other than that, they have found a great veteran leader in Chris Paul, and this is something that was missing from their roster for the past few seasons. His presence has had a lot to do with their success this season. Only Cameron Johnson has been ruled out for this game because of COVID-19 protocols.

With that, the predicted lineup would be DeAndre Ayton, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Mikal Bridges, and Frank Kaminsky.

The Portland Trail Blazers injury updates and lineup prediction

The Portland Trail Blazers really turned it around for themselves after their four-game losing skid. They have won three back-to-back games since then. Their star player Damian Lillard played like a legend in the All-Star game and proved that he should have been voted to play in the first place and not play as a replacement for Anthony Davis.

Averaging 29.8 points, 8 assists, and 4.3 rebounds, Lillard has helped the Blazers up the ladder. However, if they want to ensure a place in the playoffs this season, they need to get their players back to being healthy soon.

Three of their players will be missing from the lineup in this matchup. Harry Giles III, CJ McCollum, and Jusuf Nurkic are ruled out for now, and the Blazers might come out short-handed against the Suns.

With that, the predicted lineup would Enes Kanter, Robert Covington, Gary Trent Jr., Damian Lillard, and Derrick Jones Jr.

Game prediction

The Phoenix Suns are the clear favorites to win this game. As long as Devin Booker is playing, the shorthanded Blazers don’t stand a chance against them unless there is a miracle.