Dejounte Murray injures his left hand in Pelicans debut

Dejounte Murray scored 14 points with 10 assists and 8 rebounds before leaving the game late in the 4th quarter.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) – Pelicans point guard Dejounte Murray injured his left hand in the fourth quarter of the season opener in New Orleans 123-111 victory over the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday evening and his timetable for return is uncertain.

Murray did not speak to the media after the game, in which he had 14 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds and turned the ball over just once. He was scheduled to undergo an imaging test on Thursday to determine the extent of the injury and how long he may need to be sidelined.

“Hopefully he won't be out too long,” Pelicans guard CJ McCollum said, adding that Murray stayed in the game after mentioning that his hand was bothering him in the fourth quarter.

“He looked at me and said his hand didn’t feel right,” McCollum said. “He just kept playing. … He fought through it, he played and played well under the circumstances.”

Murray was the highest-profile addition to the New Orleans roster in the offseason when he was traded from Atlanta to the Pelicans. In return, the Hawks received a package of players and draft picks, including the Pelicans' 2022 first-round draft pick Dyson Daniels, veteran forward Larry Nance and two future first-round draft picks.

Murray's status for Wednesday night's season opener was already in question before his injury because he had left the team days earlier to attend to what coach Willie Green described as a family emergency.

“Dejounte had a tough week,” McCollum said. “He played well considering he was away for so long.

“He basically flirted with a triple-double tonight,” McCollum added. “He’s been great for us and will be great for us all season long.”

Murray helped New Orleans overcome the absence of star power forward Zion Williamson, who was left from the lineup due to an illness.

New Orleans next plays at Portland on Friday night – the first of a four-game West Coast road trip.