Brandon Ingram struggles, Trey Murphy III shines as Pelicans fall to Thunder in Game 1
Trey Murphy III figured the ball would bounce his way during warmups.
The tense atmosphere first grabbed Murphy's eye while surveilling the sold-out crowd at Paycom Center. A sea of white T-shirts, coupled with ringing chants, boosted his morale with the vigor of playoff basketball.
But as the New Orleans Pelicans forward took in the noisy environment present for his first playoff start Sunday night, he embraced the sensation relayed by the 18,203 fans in the building.
"It just gives you a second wind," Murphy said. "This is a moment you live for as a child. So I'm just grateful to be a part of it."
Ultimately, he measured up to his adolescent dreams — but it still wasn't enough.
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Murphy sat just four minutes and scored a team-high 21 points in the Pelicans' 94-92 Game 1 loss to the Thunder. His efforts on the defensive end were largely visible as he recorded three blocks and a steal.
OKC now takes a 1-0 series lead with Game 2 set for Wednesday night.
Despite his eagerness pregame, the outing was typical for Murphy, who has now started the last two games for New Orleans in the absence of star forward Zion Williamson. In his last four starts, Murphy is averaging 25.7 points on 52% shooting from the field and 49% from beyond the arc.
"I would just say I was just being aggressive," Murphy said. "I was just letting the game come to me and just trying to make the right play. Early on, I was definitely excited and amped up, but as the game progressed, I settled down a little bit."
It was a bittersweet loss for the Pelicans, who lost at the buzzer after a CJ McCollum miss in the final seconds in the face of a pestering Cason Wallace.
New Orleans failed to avoid the near-inevitable fourth-quarter surge from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose heroics were on full display late. SGA finished the night with a game-high 28 points, six rebounds and four assists.
However, aside from their inability to close down the stretch, star Brandon Ingram's unpleasant performance was most notably a factor in the Pelicans' woes Sunday night.
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Ingram followed up a playoff-clinching, 24-point outing against the Sacramento Kings in the play-in on Friday by scoring just 12 points on 5-of-17 shooting from the field. Since returning after missing 12 games with a knee injury, Ingram is averaging just 15 points on 43% shooting.
Hounding Ingram for nearly all of his 37 minutes on Sunday was known defensive bully Lu Dort, who Ingram admittedly struggled to shake out of his grasp.
"I thought Lu Dort did a good job of keeping his hands on me and being physical," Ingram said following the game.
"I've played Lu Dort and OKC a lot of times and had a lot of success. The story is already written. I just keep going and find my groove in the midst of the offense. It's not about me, I'll find myself as we continue to keep going."
As the Pelicans prepare for the ruckus awaiting them in Game 2 on Wednesday, head coach Willie Green is aware that while Murphy ascends in the absence of Williamson, the Pelicans will need their 2020 NBA All-Star to snap out of his recent slump.
"This is going to be playoff basketball — he's (Ingram) got to continue to play through it and have some gamesmanship out there," Green said. "He has to continue to play with force. This is just what it's going to be and that's a part of the game."
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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Trey Murphy III 'aggressive' for Pelicans in Game 1 loss to Thunder
