The Phoenix Suns have been dealt a major hit after losing Game 2 of their series against the New Orleans Pelicans on their home floor with a 125-114 defeat. The hamstring injury sustained by Devin Booker during the game only made the loss even tougher for Monty Williams and his team.

Despite encountering these setbacks, there is still little to no reason for the Suns to hit the panic button as early as now. Surely enough, they can still bounce back and regain control of the series although it will definitely be a bit more challenging without Booker's help.

Nonetheless, the Suns still have enough left in the tank to power through this opening-round series and avoid an upset loss against a gritty Pelicans squad early in the playoffs.

With that said, let's take a look at three reasons why the Suns shouldn't panic after their Game 2 loss to the Pelicans.

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3 reasons the Suns shouldn't panic after Game 2 loss to the Pelicans

3. The Suns have reliable players who can step up amid Devin Booker's absence.

Without a doubt, Devin Booker's injury is a big blow to the team as they will be missing his level of production. In Game 2, the three-time All-Star already tallied 31 points, two rebounds, and an assist in just 25 minutes played before he was sidelined due to the injury.

Amid his absence, the Suns still have reliable players who can play larger roles for the team, especially on offense. Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, and Cameron Payne have all proven that they can be major threats whenever they're on the floor.

It remains to be seen how long Booker will be out but the aforementioned players can take advantage of the opportunity to have a bigger contribution to the team. If they manage to step up and deliver then it will definitely keep the Suns on track while their star playmaker is out.

2. Even without Booker, the Suns are still more talented than the Pelicans.

Make no mistake about it, the Pelicans have some undeniable talent on their squad including Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Jonas Valanciunas. They also have gritty role players in Herb Jones, Larry Nance Jr., and Trey Murphy just to name a few.

However, it is safe to say that the Suns' roster is still more complete from top to bottom sans Booker. Aside from the Phoenix players mentioned above, they also have proven talent in Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton who can both have big scoring nights to fill in the production that they'll be missing from Booker's absence.

After struggling in Game 2, both of them will have to play at a higher level but the level of stability that they bring to the table would be enough to match the scoring production that is expected to come from Ingram and McCollum for the rest of the series. Moreover, Jae Crowder, JaVale McGee, and Landry Shamet can all fill in and provide timely contributions for the Suns, too.

On the bright side, Booker's injury doesn't have a definite timetable which means that he can return earlier than expected. Still, there is no doubt that the Suns have enough talent on their side to survive this series and overcome the fight that the Pelicans will be putting up in their coming games.

1. Phoenix is a more experienced and well-coached team.

As they say, experience is the best teacher. Without a productive player like Booker, the Suns will have to dig deep and play more as a team in order to compensate for his absence. Fortunately for the Suns, the chemistry and cohesion of the team have already been molded as the core players of last year's squad are still in Phoenix.

This group has already overcome adversity together after making it all the way to the Finals last season. The experience that they've garnered will surely be useful in times like these wherein players have to step up in order to fill in the absence of one of their main guys.

Additionally, they are also being coached by Monty Williams who is one of the finalists for the Coach of the Year award this season. His experience in handling this group will be crucial as he is already familiar with the strengths and weaknesses of his players.

In totality, all these pros surely outmatch the dynamic of the Pelicans on the other side. Yes, New Orleans has talented players but nothing beats chemistry, cohesion, and overcoming adversity together as a team which the Suns have already gained in recent seasons.

Ultimately, there is a reason why the Suns have sat atop the Western Conference and dominated the 2021-22 regular season with a league-best record. They will definitely need to channel and exhibit that for the remainder of this series as they try to weather the storm and advance to the next round without Devin Booker.