Suffice to say Dejounte Murray enjoyed his first game in a New Orleans Pelicans uniform a lot more than his long-awaited second.
Boos rained down from a large and initially lively Thanksgiving eve crowd as they watched the Toronto Raptors — a team that came in winless in 10 road games — take a 34-point lead in the second half.
“If you’re not embarrassed and really mad about this, that’s a problem,” Murray said after New Orleans' 119-93 loss on Wednesday night extended its losing streak to six games.
“It’s not really about the loss, (but) how we lost in front of our fans,” Murray continued. "Like, even the fans booing — I mean, what would you do if you was a fan paying your money? You want to come watch a competitive basketball game, especially from your home team. So, they got all the rights to say what they want, feel how they feel. They deserve a better game.”
The Pelicans have looked star crossed since Murray fractured his hand at the end of an opening night victory over Chicago on Oct. 23. With Zion Williamson and other starters still in the lineup, they managed to start 2-0.
Since then, injuries have struck the top eight players in the Pelicans' rotation and New Orleans has lost 15 of 17 to drop to 4-15 overall in the highly competitive Western Conference.
Injuries to Murray, Williamson (left hamstring), Brandon Ingram (right calf), CJ McCollum (right adductor) Herb Jones (right shoulder), Trey Murphy III (left knee bruise), Jose Alvarado (left hamstring) and Jordan Hawkins (back) have taken a toll.
Murray missed 17 games before his return to the lineup on Wednesday, one game after McCollum had come back from a 13-game absence. Williamson, Ingram, Murphy, Jones and Alvarado all remained out of the lineup.
“When you’ve got guys in, guys out, guys in, guys out, it’s really tough," Murray said. "But I think it’s not tough to compete.
“You can't get punked. You can't get pushed around,” Murray added. "Tonight, it was just disgusting. We’ve got to compete. We’ve got to play harder, no matter who’s on the floor.”
Murray was unsurprisingly rusty, missing his first seven shots before finishing with 14 points. McCollum scored 19 points. But that wasn't nearly enough to compensate for what coach Willie Green and McCollum suggested was soft defense against Toronto.
The Raptors arrived in New Orleans last in the NBA in 3-pointerss made per game at 10.4. They proceeded to make a season-best 21 against the Pelicans.
"Either they got better overnight, or we’ve got to do a better job closing out and making it more difficult,” McCollum said.
“It was a horrible showing,” he added. “From top to bottom, we've all got to be better.”
Green, the Pelicans fourth-year coach, lamented what he called “a lack of competition.”
“We allowed a team to come on our home floor and really make us look soft,” Green said. “That’s what I told our group. That can’t happen.”
The Pelicans have 63 games left to try to climb back into contention for at least a play-in berth. Their performance at Memphis on Friday night will show how serious they are about turning things around.
Players were given part of Thursday off to spend the holiday with family before taking a short flight to Memphis on Thursday night.
“As soon as we get on that plane, we got to lock in to understanding what just happened,” Murray said. "You don’t want bad habits to carry over.”
While McCollum stressed that injuries have made it “hard to establish rhythms and rotations," he described the latest loss as "just a bad game that we can’t have.”
“Time is ticking," McCollum continued. "And it isn’t getting any easier.”
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New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) drives to the basket between Toronto Raptors guard Jamal Shead and guard RJ Barrett (9) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. The Raptors won 119-93. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans head coach WIllie Green greets guard Javonte Green (4) as he walks to the bench in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors in New Orleans, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, second right, and forward Brandon Ingram, second left, sit on the bench with center Yves Missi (21) and forward Jamal Cain in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. The Raptors won 119-93. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
New Orleans Pelicans guard CJ McCollum (3) falls for a loose ball against Toronto Raptors guard Ja'Kobe Walter in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand (AP) — Kane Williamson slipped seamlessly back into the New Zealand cricket team, top-scoring with 93 as the Black Caps reached 319-8 Thursday on the first day of the first cricket test against England.
At stumps, after 83 overs, Glenn Phillips was 41 not out and Tim Southee at the start of his last series before retirement was 10.
Williamson was injured and missed New Zealand’s historic 3-0 series win over India in India last month. That meant he had played only two tests and a recent domestic first-class match since June.
But he was unimpeded by his recent lack of activity, coming within seven runs of his 33rd test century before falling midway through a final session in which New Zealand lost five wickets and some of the advantage it held earlier in the day.
New Zealand was in a strong position at 193-3 at tea with Williamson in full flight but England battled its way back into the match in the last session of a tiring day of warm conditions and blustery winds.
Shoaib Bashir took 4-69 in 20 overs, an unusually heavy workload for a spinner on the first day of a match at Hagley Oval.
Williamson shared partnerships of 58 with Tom Latham (47), 68 with Rachin Ravindra (34) and 69 with Daryl Mitchell (34) which bound together the New Zealand innings.
Williamson’s command of proceedings on day one made light of the fact it was a minor gamble to play him in this match. He took the place of Will Young who was Player of the Series in India, scoring 244 runs at an average of 48.8.
This was a classic Williamson innings, mixing care and concentration for long periods with bursts of controlled aggression. He took 15 runs to get off the mark and played in Latham’s shadow in the first session, contributing only seven runs to their 50 partnership.
But after a lull, he hit back-to-back boundaries — a sweet cover drive and ruthless pull — to bring up New Zealand’s 100 in the 22nd.
He was in one of his watchful periods before his dismissal. Seeking again to assert himself, he cut a ball from Gus Atkinson but didn’t manage to get on top of the bounce and hit the ball directly to Zac Crawley at backward point.
“It was a challenge,” Williamson said. “There were some really good partnerships there. The ball did a little bit throughout but as we know the wicket here is pretty good and generally pretty fair for ball and bat.
“It was a pretty balanced day of test cricket.”
England would have been full of optimism when captain Ben Stokes won the toss in the city in which he was born and sent New Zealand in on a green pitch.
But England didn’t embrace the opportunity provided by the toss. The fast bowlers ran in with energy but didn’t bowl well individually and didn’t execute as a group in the first two sessions.
Stokes let the game wander and England captured only the fortuitous wicket of Ravindra while conceding 89 runs.
The moderate impact of the England quicks was shown by the fact Stokes went to his spinner Bashir after only 29 overs. The pitch hadn’t performed quite as England expected.
England captured Latham’s wicket after he had made 47 from only 54 balls and New Zealand came out on top after the first session. Brydon Carse bowled a good length ball from over the wicket which went across Latham and took the outside edge as he tried to turn the ball into the leg side.
Ollie Pope, behind the stumps, completed the catch. Pope inherited the job of keeping wicket when Jordan Cox, who was expected to make his test debut in Christchurch, suffered a broken thumb in a training accident. Instead, 31-year-old Jacob Bethell was handed a test debut. He will bat at No. 3 though he hasn’t yet scored a first-class century.
Devon Conway fell in the second over of the innings, caught and bowled by Gus Atkinson.
Williamson was out with the total 227-5 and New Zealand slipped to 252-7 before Phillips and Matt Henry added 46 for the eighth wicket.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Zak Crawley, left, of England congratulates teammate Shoaib Bashir after taking the wicket of Rachin Ravindra of New Zealand during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Kane Williamson reacts after reaching 50 runs during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Kane Williamson bats during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Kane Williamson bats during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (John Davidson/Photosport via AP)
England's Brydon Carse, centre, is congratulated by teammates Ben Stokes and Shoaib Bashir, right, after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (John Davidson/Photosport via AP)
England's Ben Stokes reacts during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Kane Williamson bats during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Kane Williamson walks from the field after he was dismissed on 93 runs during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Brydon Carse, right, celebrates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Latham, left, during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Ben Stokes bowls during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Ben Stokes bowls during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Brydon Carse celebrates after taking he wicket off New Zealand's Tom Latham during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)
England's Brydon Carse, second left, is congratulated by teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Latham during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Rachin Ravindra bats during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Brydon Carse, right, bowls as New Zealand's Kane Williamson watches during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Tom Latham bats during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand captain Tom Latham, left, and England captain Ben Stokes shake hands at the coin toss ahead of the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Tom Latham bats during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
New Zealand's Kane Williamson slips over while batting during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
England's Gus Atkinson takes a catch off his own bowling to dismiss New Zealand's Devon Conway during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Chris Symes/Photosport via AP)
England's Brydon Carse, second left, is congratulated by teammates after taking the wicket of New Zealand's Tom Latham during play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (Andrew Cornaga/Photosport via AP)
A England fan reacts ahead of play on the first day of the first cricket test between England and New Zealand at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, New Zealand, Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. (John Davidson/Photosport via AP)
