It was an impressive debut in New Orleans colours for All-Star point guard Dejounte Murray, finishing just two rebounds shy of a triple double in a 123-111 win over the Chicago Bulls.
A night that began with the news that Zion Williamson would miss the home opener with illness was quickly kickstarted by an energetic, combative Pelicans squad that would pull away in the third quarter marshalled by Brandon Ingram’s 33 total points.
New Orleans’ 30 points off turnovers, generated by their 15 steals and 10 blocks on the night, highlighted a strong defensive showing that notably lacked an over-reliance on Herb Jones. Javonte Green forced four steals of his own in his debut against his former squad.
The Pelicans got smaller and faster this summer, a notion embodied by this performance. The Bulls struggled with New Orleans’ activity in the passing lanes.
“They’re quick and they’re very active with their hands. You give up 30 points off turnovers and it’s really hard to win a game like that,” remarked Bulls head coach Billy Donovan.
A bright spot for Chicago was the return to action for point guard Lonzo Ball, who made his first appearance since January 2022. Zach LaVine managed 27 points on 5-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, giving the hosts their only scare with his barrage of jumpers late in the first half that gave the Bulls a brief advantage.
The Pelicans also got an excellent debut from rookie centre Yves Missi, who sparked off the bench with 12 points and 3 blocks.
The bad news came after the win when Shams Charania first reported that Murray had suffered a fractured left hand late in the game.
He joins the recently extended Trey Murphy III on the Pelicans’ injury report for the foreseeable future. New Orleans didn’t dress their full lineup in any preseason fixture, and now will have to wait much longer to see it in action as Williamson rejoins the squad ahead of a four-game west coast trip that starts with a doubleheader against Portland.
With Murray sidelined, the ball handler duties will be distributed among Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum, and Zion Williamson, which suggests a sense of familiarity that may play into head coach Willie Green’s hands in the short term.
