Pelicans say Dejounte Murray ruptured his Achilles tendon and his season is over

Dejounte Murray’s season is over, with the New Orleans Pelicans confirming Saturday that the standout guard ruptured his proper Achilles tendon and now faces a prolonged rehab course of.

It’s the most recent blow in an injury-dominated season for the Pelicans, who got here into the yr hoping a star trio of Murray, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram would have the ability to lead them again to the playoffs.

These three gamers have been by no means on the courtroom on the similar time this season.

Murray acquired harm Friday night time in a recreation in opposition to the Boston Celtics, the noncontact harm instantly prompting hypothesis that he tore his Achilles tendon. Murray had pushed into the lane and took a shot, then went to chase after his miss. However he fell to the courtroom and grabbed in the back of his proper foot, then hobbled towards the bench.

The Pelicans stated an MRI that confirmed the rupture was carried out Friday night time. Gamers and coach Willie Inexperienced indicated after the 118-116 loss to the reigning champion Celtics that they already knew Murray had suffered a critical harm even earlier than the analysis was introduced.

“It sucks, bro,” guard Jose Alvarado stated. “That’s my dawg. On the finish of the day, we’re human beings and after I noticed it, I felt dangerous for him. I can’t actually clarify it. It’s one thing that I knew wasn’t wanting good. … He loves this recreation and I understand how a lot he loves it. It’s unlucky. And after I’d seen that, I couldn’t put it into phrases.”

That is the second main leg harm for the 28-year-old Murray in his NBA profession. He missed the 2018-19 season when he tore his proper ACL, which occurred within the preseason earlier than what would have been his third yr with the San Antonio Spurs.

The Pelicans (12-37) entered Saturday next-to-last within the Western Convention and nicely out of the playoff image. And accidents are among the many greatest explanation why this yr has gone horribly mistaken for New Orleans.

Murray already missed 17 video games earlier this season with a damaged hand. Williamson has missed 36 video games for quite a lot of causes, the majority of these absences due to left hamstring points. Ingram has missed the Pelicans’ final 25 video games with a sprained left ankle.

Herb Jones — one of many league’s finest defenders — has missed 29 video games with a proper shoulder situation. CJ McCollum missed 13 video games with an adductor pressure. Alvarado missed 23 video games with a hamstring situation.

Add all of it up, and the season merely by no means had an opportunity to get on the observe that the Pelicans hoped for. There’s additionally been classes discovered from off-the-court points that overshadow something that occurs in basketball, Inexperienced stated — seemingly referencing the New Yr’s Eve truck assault in New Orleans’ French Quarter that killed 14 folks, and the aircraft crashes in Washington and Philadelphia this week that led to 73 extra deaths.

“That is NBA problem,” Inexperienced stated. “What we simply noticed on the information, that’s real-life problem. And retaining that in perspective is vital. We lose a recreation within the NBA, we get to get up tomorrow and get again after it. Whenever you maintain life in perspective — and for me, retaining God first and staying regular by way of challenges — you’re capable of overcome them and are available out on the opposite finish OK.”

Murray ends his season averaging 17.5 factors, 7.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds per recreation. He’s within the first yr of a four-year, $114.2 million contract and was the highest-profile addition to New Orleans’ roster final summer time, when he was traded to the Pelicans by Atlanta.

Achilles tendon tears can require a restoration interval of as much as a yr in some circumstances, and Murray’s rehab is for certain to final a number of months at minimal. That would depart Murray’s availability for the beginning of subsequent season — opening night time is usually in mid-to-late October — in some doubt.

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