During the first half of the New Orleans Pelicans’ 118-116 loss to the Boston Celtics, Dejounte Murray suffered a concerning leg injury and immediately left the game.
The Pelicans ruled him out for the game and Murray left the arena with a boot and crutches. Murray was diagnosed and he has a torn Achilles in his right leg and will for the rest of the season. Murray missed a large chunk of time at the start of this season, his first campaign in New Orleans, after fracturing his hand in the season opener. Unfortunately, he has a long offseason of rehab ahead as he tries to get back on the court in 2025-26.
The Pelicans are already shorthanded. Star forward Brandon Ingram has been out since the beginning of December with a sprained ankle and defensive ace Herb Jones is out with a torn labrum. Zion Williamson also missed the game against the Celtics due to illness, and he recently got back after an extended absence due to a hamstring injury.
Murray averaged 17.9 points and 7.6 assists per game. Defensively, he has become one of the best thieves in the league, picking up 2.1 steals a game. That would have been good for second place in the whole league if he had played enough games to qualify for the leaderboard.
STORY BY SALIFU ZAKARI ZEBA
