1-34-14-6. These are not the lottery results but the numbers to remember from the meeting between the Pelicans and the Raptors. The 1 refers to Toronto’s first victory outside of Canada this season. The 34 is the maximum gap during the game, in favor of the Raptors. 14? The number of points Dejounte Murraywho marked his return after several weeks of absence. Finally, 6 is the number of defeats in a row for New Orleans…
The problems continue for the Pelicans, who were widely whistled by their public during a second half where the Raptors – four victories before Wednesday evening – therefore had a lead of up to 34 units…
“If we’re not embarrassed and really angry after this match, that’s a problem.”announces Dejounte Murray, injured in the first match of the season in his left hand and who was therefore only playing his second match under his new colors. “I’m not even talking about the defeat, but the way, in front of our fans. They booed… When you’re a fan who pays to see a game, you want to see a competitive game, especially from your team. They have the right to say how they feel about things. They deserved a better match. »
“Time is running out” for the Pelicans
Obviously struggling in terms of rhythm, after 17 missed matches and a month without playing, the former Hawks compiled 14 points at 5/17 on the shoot. And as there are still many injuries, the Pelicans find it difficult to hope for more at the moment. But that’s no reason to give up.
“We have some absentees, so it’s hard. But not enough not to fight,” believes the playmaker, who will not spare his words. “We can’t be punished or pushed around. This meeting was disgusting. We have to fight, we have to play harder, no matter who is on the floor. »
Dejounte Murray is not the only one to make this sad observation since CJ McCollum spoke of a « spectacle horrible » when Willie Green remarks that with this defeat “we come across as a soft team”. “I told the group: it’s not possible”he says, regretting the “lack of fighting spirit” of his troops.
“As soon as we get on the plane, we have to look at what happened. We can’t let bad habits take hold.”warns Dejounte Murray. “Time is running out and it’s not going to get better”concludes CJ McCollum while the Pelicans are the worst team in the West with 4 wins for 15 losses.
