NEW ORLEANS (AP) — New Orleans guard Dejounte Murray left the Pelicans’ game against Boston in the first quarter Friday night with an injury to his lower right leg, and the team was bracing to be without him for an extended period once again.
Pelicans coach Willie Green said he saw Murray briefly after the game, which New Orleans lost 118-116. Murray suffered a non-contact injury and was grabbing in the area of his right Achilles tendon before hobbling to the bench.
“It's a challenge. It's a challenge,” Green said. “I'll leave it at that.”
Green did not provide a diagnosis of the injury, only saying that Murray — who missed 17 games earlier this season with a broken hand — would get some imaging. “We'll have an update after that,” Green said.
While not disclosing what Murray said, Jose Alvarado said his injured teammate spoke to the group at halftime.
“He’s one of the toughest soldiers I know,” Alvarado said. “He’s so tough mentally — at least what he shows to us. He held his head high. He was waiting for us at halftime. He told us the news, and I think I shed a tear. He’s just so solid. He going to be our leader. I told him, ‘I send my prayers up to you.’”
Murray had driven into the lane and took a shot, then went to chase after his miss. But he fell to the court and grabbed at the area near his right foot. When he got up, he hobbled toward the nearby Pelicans bench.
“It hurt a lot, l can’t lie to you,” said Trey Murphy III, who scored 40 points in the loss. “He’s been through a lot already, and it doesn’t help. But a lot of times God puts you through situations in order to give you a bigger message. I think that’s what’s happening right now. It’s not always easy to understand what he’s saying, but there always a reason.”
Shortly after the injury, the Pelicans announced Murray would not return to the game.
“Extremely difficult, when you see a guy that means so much to our team and puts the work in go down like that,” Green said. “We’ll continue to pray for him and see what happens once he gets the imaging.”
The injury-riddled Pelicans were already playing without Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram and Herb Jones.
"Those are the challenges that we’ve been going through pretty much all season," Green said.
The Pelicans (12-37) are next-to-last in the Western Conference and well out of the playoff picture. Losing Murray again would only add to a frustrating season that went horribly wrong for New Orleans.
“We'll make sure we continue to support him,” Green said. “We'll wait for the results, but whatever the case we'll make sure we're there to support him.”
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray (5) reacts after being hurt in the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Boston Celtics in New Orleans, Friday, Jan. 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Mason McTavish had a pair of goals and Jackson LaCombe and Cutter Gauthier each had three assists as the Anaheim Ducks scored four goals in the final eight minutes of the first period en route to a 6-2 victory over the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night.
Leo Carlsson, Sam Colangelo, Ryan Strome and Alex Killorn also scored for the Ducks who have won two of their last three. Netminder Lukas Dostal made 32 saves.
Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers who have lost six of their last seven.
Calvin Pickard recorded just seven saves on 11 first-period shots in the loss for the Oilers, before being replaced at the start of the second by Stuart Skinner, who made 14 saves.
Fans loudly booed “The Star-Spangled Banner” at the Rogers Centre before the game. Some in the crowd also yelled out anti-Trump sentiments during the anthem.
Ducks: LaCombe is having a terrific season, extending his point streak to six games. He has 11 goals and 33 points in 53 games this season.
Oilers: Draisaitl continues to be a goal-scoring machine, notching his league-leading 45th of the season and extending his point streak to 12 games in the process. Draisaitl has nine goals in his last nine games.
Anaheim took a 3-1 lead with 1:34 to play in the first period on a shot that caromed off the skate of defender Brett Kulak and into the net. Then just 12 seconds, later the Ducks poked the puck out to McTavish, who was left all alone to score his second of the game.
Gauthier became the third Ducks rookie in franchise history to record three assists in a single period.
The Ducks visit the Canucks on Wednesday. The Oilers host the Canadiens on Thursday.
AP NHL: https://www.apnews.com/hub/NHL
Anaheim Ducks' Brian Dumoulin (6) and Edmonton Oilers' Corey Perry (90) battle in front as goalie Lukas Dostal, back, makes the save during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers goalie Calvin Pickard (30) points to the puck against the Anaheim Ducks during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Edmonton Oilers players celebrate a goal against the Anaheim Ducks during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Anaheim Ducks players celebrate a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during first period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Anaheim Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal (1) makes the save on Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) as Pavel Mintyukov (34) defends during second period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Anaheim Ducks and the Edmonton Oilers players rough it up during third period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Anaheim Ducks' Isac Lundestrom (21) and Edmonton Oilers' Mattias Janmark (13) battle for the puck during third period NHL action in Edmonton on Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Anaheim Ducks' Isac Lundestrom (21) is checked by Edmonton Oilers' Mattias Janmark (13) during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Anaheim Ducks' Ryan Strome (16) celebrates a goal against the Edmonton Oilers during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
Anaheim Ducks' goalie Lukas Dostal (1) makes the save on Edmonton Oilers' Connor McDavid (97) during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Edmonton, Alberta, Tuesday, March 4, 2025. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP)
