Cavaliers Now

Trey Murphy Drops 32 Points in Breakout Performance for the Pelicans

The former Cavalier had a career-night on Friday for New Orleans

Matt Newton

Trey Murphy's rookie season in the NBA has been far from ideal. 

Since the New Orleans Pelicans selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft out of the University of Virginia, Murphy has played sparingly, averaging 12.1 minutes per game and appearing in 46 of the Pelicans' 67 games this season. Murphy is currently averaging 3.8 points and 2.0 rebounds per game and even spent some time in the NBA G League. 

Put simply - he has not had enough opportunities to get used to the rhythm of the NBA and show his potential. That changed on Thursday night in New Orleans. 

In a game in which not much went right for the Pelicans in a 22-point loss to the Orlando Magic, Trey Murphy was a bright exception. 

Murphy had a breakout performance, dropping career-highs in both points (32) and rebounds (9) and hitting seven three-pointers. 

In just 28 minutes played, Murphy dropped 32 points on 12/20 (60%) shooting from the floor, collected nine rebounds (including four offensive rebounds), and recorded two assists. Murphy's previous best career-highs were 12 points and six rebounds, respectively. 

Murphy capped off the performance with an emphatic dunk on a lob off the backboard. 

Murphy became just the fifth rookie in New Orleans Pelicans franchise history to score at least 30 points in a game. 

As he continues to develop his skills and strength and gradually earns more playing time, Murphy could still be a star in the making for the New Orleans Pelicans. 

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.

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