New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray will miss the rest of the season after tearing his right Achilles tendon during Friday’s game against the visiting Boston Celtics.
With four minutes remaining in the first quarter, Murray grabbed his own rebound after missing a floater. But as he clutched the ball, he fell to the ground and grabbed the back of his right leg.
Murray was helped off the court and did not return in the Pelicans’ 118-116 loss to the Celtics.
An MRI conducted Friday night confirmed the injury, the Pelicans said Saturday.
“It is extremely difficult when you see a guy that means so much to our team and puts the work in go down like that,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said postgame. “We’ll continue to pray for him.”
Murray, in his ninth season, is averaging 17.5 points, 7.4 assists and 6.5 rebounds in 31 games — all starts.
He is in his first season with the Pelicans after spending the past two with the Atlanta Hawks.
The 29th overall draft pick out of Washington in 2016, Murray spent the first six seasons of his career in San Antonio, where he went from averaging 8.5 minutes as a rookie to an All-Star in 2021-22, his final season with the Spurs.
The 28-year-old also is no stranger to injuries.
Murray missed the 2018-19 season with a torn ACL. This season, he sustained a broken hand in the season opener and missed the next 17 games.
Over his career, Murray is a 15.5 ppg scorer with averages of 5.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
–Field Level Media
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