New Orleans interim head coach James Borrego highlighted Dejounte Murray’s first game back from a ruptured Achilles, saying, “Impressive. Just to see him out there competing again, looked like his old self. He didn’t miss a beat and he’s only going to get better from here.”
Borrego emphasized Murray’s impact on both ends, adding, “For that to be his first game, I felt him on both ends of the floor. His poise, his tenacity. He and Herb are out there wrecking havoc with DeAndre Jordan at the rim. It’s infectious. Z’s out there trying to make plays. They have raised the bar.”
On closing moments, Borrego noted, “Dejounte was fantastic tonight. He helped us close, made a big shot, kept us in our stuff late. Big clutch win for our group. Learning how to close together is really important.”
The coach also praised Bryce McGowens’ contributions, saying, “Bryce came in and really turned things. He was massive for us. Big shots, big defense, the putback was massive, the transition bucket, and then you add the defense. He was great.”
Borrego explained the importance of executing down the stretch, stating, “Certainly helps in those moments. Saddiq again, big buckets. Z found his way to the rim, free throws. Defense could have been better, but we did enough down the stretch. We got good shots. Probably two turnovers we need to clean up, but overall we had great poise and found a way to close.”
He also highlighted the bench’s role, adding, “We had a stretch with the entire bench playing together and they made the run. Fears was making big plays. DQ was massive in that run. Karlo as well. That allowed the starters to come back and close.”
Borrego addressed his lineup decision, explaining, “DeAndre is anchoring the defense. Queen is moving the needle for us. I couldn’t tell you what we’re going to do next game. One game at a time with the focus on winning each possession. Dejounte starting was the right move, and that was not an easy decision because a group had chemistry together.”
Managing Murray’s minutes, Borrego said, “Yes, I wanted to keep him out there. It’s our job to save him from himself. First game back, we have to trust that. He did. We subbed DeAndre in for him at a moment to manage minutes.”
Borrego shared his pregame message to Murray: “Go compete. Enjoy it. I’m proud of you. Don’t overthink it. I’m there with you, supporting you. Run the team, I’ll help along the way. More than anything, go compete, have some fun.”
He concluded on team celebration, stating, “His teammates shouted him out. Massive celebration in there. The journey he’s been on, the year he’s had to come back, they love him. He’s pushing this team.”
