The New Orleans Pelicans picked up their second straight win against the Los Angeles Clippers, 105-99, Thursday night, recording the team’s seventh straight home win. While this game was another positive chapter in the story of the Pelicans' post-All-Star break surge, there was one obvious problem. When the Pelicans entered the final four minutes of this game, they were really missing Dejounte Murray, who sat out due to it being the second night of a back-to-back as part of his recovery from his Achilles injury.
New Orleans did find a way to pull this game out, thanks to Saddiq Bey stepping up as a playmaker with six assists and Zion Williamson drawing a foul on Brook Lopez to seal the game. The close-out process for the Pelicans had major shades of earlier this season. It felt like, prior to Murray's return, the Pels were always a team that struggled in quarters three and four, and it resulted in many late-game collapses.
Since Murray returned, those struggles disappeared as his presence helps slow things down and get the Pelicans the actions that they wanted and were drawn up by interim head coach James Borrego. As I said, New Orleans figured it out and shut down the Clippers, but the closing moments of this game also highlighted that Murray may be the most important player on the Pelicans.
Dejounte Murray has become the Pelicans’ most important player
At one point, around the three-minute mark of the third quarter, the Pelicans were coming out of a timeout and completely butchered the ATO James Borrego drew up. New Orleans struggled to get its offense going, and it led to a pull-up free-throw line jumper for Herb Jones. Typically, in a situation like that, Murray would create a clean look, but instead the Pelicans were forced to have a non-guard in Trey Murphy III try to execute things.
Since the Pelicans traded away Brandon Ingram last season, they have been searching for a closer, someone not just to make shots but to make decisions in the clutch. In the nine games Murray has appeared in since returning from injury, he's been exactly that. Against the Raptors, he drilled a clutch three over Jamal Shead. In his first game back against the Warriors, he had the game-sealing layup, and even despite losing 107-105 to Houston a week ago, he was incredible down the stretch.
With each win New Orleans picks up down the stretch, the idea of running it back next season becomes more real. If that is the approach Joe Dumars and Troy Weaver take this summer, the importance of Dejounte Murray may never get any higher.