Suns' Bradley Beal Out 1 Week with Hamstring Injury amid NBA Playoff Race, HC Says

As the Phoenix Suns attempt to chase down the Dallas Mavericks for the final spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament, they will be without one of their key players for at least one week.

Phoenix head coach Mike Budenholzer told reporters Monday that Bradley Beal will be reevaluated in a week after leaving Sunday's loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with a hamstring injury.

The guard played just 15 minutes prior to exiting and finished with four points and two rebounds on 2-of-6 shooting from the field.

It has been an up-and-down season for Beal, who was included in plenty of trade speculation prior to the February deadline. However, the Suns ultimately did not move him and largely kept the core of their team intact ahead of the stretch run.

While Beal has solid numbers at 17.3 points, 3.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds a night, that would mark the lowest scoring total for a season since he was with the Washington Wizards during the 2015-16 campaign.

The Suns have also never found a rhythm this season and sit at 31-37 and 1.5 games behind the Mavericks for the No. 10 seed. Many likely assumed Phoenix would catch Dallas since Luka Dončić is now on the Lakers, Kyrie Irving is out for the season and Anthony Davis is sidelined with an injury, but that might require more consistent play from the pursuers.

Beal's absence will make finding that consistent play all the more difficult.

Look for Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to continue carrying the offense, while Ryan Dunn, Royce O'Neale and Cody Martin will likely be in line for more playing time. 

The Suns play three games at home this week against the Toronto Raptors on Monday, the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday and the Cleveland Cavaliers on Friday. They also face the Milwaukee Bucks in a week next Monday, which might be when Beal returns to the floor depending on his reevaluation.