Dejounte Murray wants The Worldwide Leader to keep that same energy.
Murray and the Atlanta Hawks pulled off a big upset during Tuesday’s play-in tournament game. They went in to Miami and defeated the Heat (the very same team that eliminated them in five games during last year’s playoffs) by the final of 116-105 after leading by as many as 24.
Atlanta lit up Miami on the glass 63-39 and also got timely shotmaking from both Murray (18 points) and backcourt partner Trae Young (25 points).
After the game, Murray gloated a bit on Twitter. He pointed out that all 17 of ESPN’s analysts who made a prediction for the game chose the Heat to win.
“JOKES ON YOU MFS!!!!! @ESPN” tweeted Murray along with several laughing emojis.
https://twitter.com/DejounteMurray/status/1645970193141596162
The Hawks certainly proved everyone wrong when it mattered. They were extremely underwhelming throughout the season, finishing just 41-41 and replacing head coach Nate McMillan with Quin Snyder in the middle of the year. But in a single-game showdown against a division rival to earn a spot in the playoffs, Murray and the Hawks got the job done.
Atlanta will again be heavy underdogs in their first-round matchup against the 57-win Boston Celtics (last season’s Eastern Conference champions). But the 2022 All-Star Murray is notorious for playing with an edge and probably loves the fact that his team continues to get overlooked.
