Warriors Vs Pelicans: Dejounte Murray Scores 13 in Return from Achilles and Spurs Past Warriors 113-109
Dejounte Murray returned to the court in the Warriors Vs Pelicans matchup, converting a slashing layup fewer than 20 seconds into his first game in nearly 13 months and finishing with 13 points in New Orleans’ 113-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors. The comeback matters because it closes a year-long rehabilitation from a ruptured right Achilles tendon that followed a cascade of personal and physical setbacks.
Dejounte Murray's Return
Murray’s night was compact but decisive: he played 25 minutes, scored 13 points and capped his performance with a driving layup off the glass that gave the Pelicans a five-point lead with 1: 04 remaining. He also assisted on three baskets, grabbed a couple of rebounds, registered a steal and committed five turnovers in the win. The scoring and the late layup came in his first action since suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon, and marked his first game in nearly 13 months.
Warriors Vs Pelicans: Game-clinching Play and Final Score
The final margin, 113-109, reflected a closely contested finish. Murray’s early slashing layup — coming in fewer than 20 seconds from the opening — set the tone, and his late driving finish helped clinch the victory over the Golden State Warriors. He had been listed probable to play that Tuesday after a year-long rehab process, and the minutes were managed to keep him available in closing moments.
James Borrego on Murray
Pelicans coach James Borrego limited Murray’s minutes but ensured he was on the floor in the decisive stretch, saying that for a first game he saw Murray contribute on both ends and “didn’t miss a beat. ” Borrego described a rousing locker-room response: teammates shouted their praise and staged what the coach called “a massive celebration in there for him — the journey he’s been on, the year he had. ”
Zion Williamson and the Team Moment
Zion Williamson scored a team-high 26 points and highlighted Murray’s on-court communication and leadership, noting that Murray “has a way of just keeping everybody engaged, even when you get frustrated. ” When the final horn sounded Murray’s daughter ran onto the court and hugged him, a gesture followed by visible teammates’ congratulations; Murray said the celebration was great but emphasized he is ready for the next game, adding, “I’m hungry. I’m starving. ”
Timeline: June 2024 Trade, Personal Crises and Prior Career Notes
The comeback arrives after a turbulent stretch that began last summer. In June 2024, the Atlanta Hawks traded Murray to the New Orleans Pelicans amid hopes he could form a trio with Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram. That move followed earlier career milestones: Murray received an All-Star nod with San Antonio in 2022 and had been traded to Atlanta in June 2022. He had been averaging a career high in points in Atlanta and was expected to take on a prominent role in New Orleans.
Ruptured Right Achilles and Year-Long Rehab
The sequence of setbacks that preceded the Achilles injury compounded into a difficult year. A week before his first game of the 2024-25 season, Murray’s mother suffered a stroke; he flew to Seattle, where he grew up, and she was left barely able to speak and helpless in the hospital. In the very first game he broke his left hand and required surgery, forcing him to miss 17 games. In January 2025 he then suffered a season-ending ruptured right Achilles tendon. A medical professional questioned his ability to return, and the recovery stretched into a year-long rehabilitation before he was listed probable to play in the Pelicans’ matchup with Golden State.
What makes this notable is how the on-court sequence — a measured 25-minute return, early aggressiveness and a late game-winning play — maps onto a broader personal narrative: a player who navigated family illness, surgery and a major tendon rupture now back in a role he expects to hold for the remainder of the season. The Pelicans have 23 games left, and Murray signaled his intent to contribute in all of them.
Throughout, Murray has described that period as dark and crushing, saying “Everything… was just dark” and calling the stretch “literally the worst three months of my professional career on and off the floor. ” He also reflected more succinctly after the win: “I've been through a lot, ” and expressed eagerness to move forward. The comeback Thursday night combined tangible numbers — 13 points, three assists, five turnovers in 25 minutes — with visible emotional closure in the arena and locker room.
