NEW ORLEANS — The New Orleans Pelicans faced a tough blow during their recent match against the Boston Celtics when guard Dejounte Murray was forced to leave the game in the first quarter due to an injury to his lower right leg. As the team prepares for what might be another prolonged absence for the player, they are bracing for the worst following a season already riddled with setbacks.

Pelicans head coach Willie Green mentioned he had a brief conversation with Murray post-game after New Orleans fell narrowly, 118-116. Murray’s injury appeared to be of a non-contact nature, and witnesses remarked that he was favoring the area around his right Achilles tendon before making his way to the bench.

“It’s a challenge. It’s a challenge,” Green stated plainly without going into specifics about the injury. He emphasized that Murray, who had already missed a total of 17 games this season due to a broken hand, would undergo imaging to evaluate the injury. “We’ll have an update after that,” Green added.

Teammate Jose Alvarado shared that Murray spoke to the team during halftime, although he kept the details of their conversation private. “He’s one of the toughest soldiers I know,” Alvarado said, expressing his admiration for Murray’s resilience. “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’s going to be our leader. I told him, ‘I send my prayers up to you.’”

Murray’s injury occurred during a drive to the basket; he took a shot and then went to retrieve his missed attempt but fell to the court in the process, visibly in pain. Trey Murphy III, who scored an impressive 40 points in the game, noted the emotional impact of losing Murray. “It hurt a lot, I can’t lie to you,” Murphy expressed. “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.”

Shortly after Murray departed from the game, the Pelicans confirmed he would not return to the court. “Extremely difficult, when you see a guy that means so much to our team and puts the work in go down like that,” Coach Green said. He added that prayers would be ongoing as they awaited results from Murray’s imaging.

The Pelicans were already struggling with injuries to several key players, including Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and Herb Jones. “Those are the challenges that we’ve been going through pretty much all season,” Green commented.

Currently sitting at 12-37, the Pelicans are positioned second to last in the Western Conference, far from playoff contention. Losing Murray again would add immense frustration to an already tumultuous season for the franchise. “We’ll make sure we continue to support him,” Green reassured. “We’ll wait for the results, but whatever the case, we’ll make sure we’re there to support him.”