Dejounte Murray has not been in New Orleans for very long, but he is aware that something needs to change.
The atmosphere at Smoothie King Center in New Orleans was initially lively and positive at the beginning of the game against the Raptors on Wednesday night.
However, when the visitors – who had lost their last 10 road games – took a 34-point lead in the second half, the crowd’s boos grew loud and fast, and Murray understood their reaction completely.
“If you’re not embarrassed and really upset about this, that’s a problem,” Murray said.
“It’s not just about the loss, but how we lost in front of our fans. Even the fans booing – I mean, what would you do if you were a paying fan? You want to see a competitive basketball game, especially from your home team. So, they have every right to express themselves however they want. They deserve a better performance.”
The defeat extended the Pelicans’ losing streak to six games. The team has been plagued by injuries to key players such as Murray, Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, Herb Jones, Trey Murphy III, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Hawkins.
“When you have players in and out due to injuries, it’s really challenging,” Murray acknowledged. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t compete.
“We can’t allow ourselves to be pushed around. Tonight was just unacceptable. We need to step up and compete, regardless of who is on the court.”
Wednesday marked Murray’s return after missing 17 games with a fractured left hand, and it was McCollum’s second game back after being sidelined for most of the month with an adductor strain.
“Either they magically improved overnight, or we need to do a better job of closing out and making things more difficult for them,” McCollum commented.
“It was a dreadful performance,” he added. “From top to bottom, we all need to step up.”
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