NBA wrap: Blazers bounce back to 4-1 as Morant sits; Grizzlies are last unbeaten team (Nov. 1)
Quick Read
The Portland Trail Blazers went 2-1 this week and are 4-1, first in the Northwest Division and third in the Western Conference.
Portland beat the Lakers 136-129, lost its first game to unbeaten Memphis 124-103, then rolled past Utah 112-90 on Saturday.
Ja Morant strained his hamstring against Memphis and won't be back before Thanksgiving, The Associated Press reported.
The Blazers start a three-game road trip at Denver on Monday at 6 p.m. Pacific.
The Trail Blazers' unbeaten start ended this week, but Portland answered a lopsided home loss with its most complete win of the young season. Here is the week in Blazers basketball, plus a few things worth knowing from around the NBA.
Blazers: 2-1 week, 4-1 overall
Tuesday at Los Angeles: Blazers 136, Lakers 129. Ja Morant and Deni Avdija scored 23 points each, and Damian Lillard added 21, including a 3-pointer with 43 seconds left that clinched it. Luka Doncic scored 41 for the Lakers, according to the AP recap.
Thursday at Moda Center: Grizzlies 124, Blazers 103. Memphis pulled away in the second half behind rookie Cameron Boozer's first career triple-double. Portland shot 12 of 49 from 3-point range, and Morant left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury, per the AP.
Saturday at Utah: Blazers 112, Jazz 90. Avdija scored 24 points, 19 of them in the first half when he went 10 of 11 at the free-throw line. Lillard had 22, and Toumani Camara, Scoot Henderson and Jrue Holiday scored 14 apiece. A 17-0 first-quarter run put Portland in control, and the Blazers led by as many as 28, according to the AP recap. Portland held Utah to 37% shooting, the Jazz's lowest of the season, and won the rebounding battle 48-37.
Injuries
Morant, acquired from Memphis in June, strained his hamstring Thursday and won't be back before Thanksgiving, the AP reported. Shaedon Sharpe is out until spring after knee surgery. Both are listed out for Monday, according to the AP game preview.
Up next
Portland is 3-0 on the road heading into a busy week, per the team schedule on ESPN (times Pacific):
Monday, Nov. 2: at Denver (3-2), 6 p.m., KUNP 16 and BlazerVision
Wednesday, Nov. 4: at Phoenix, 6 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 6: at the Lakers, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 7: vs. San Antonio at Moda Center, 7 p.m.
Around the NBA
Memphis is the last unbeaten team. The Grizzlies beat Sacramento 136-105 on Saturday to go 6-0, matching the 2014-15 team for the best start in franchise history, according to the AP. Boozer scored 27 and Isaiah Stewart added 24.
Thunder lose Holmgren. Oklahoma City announced Friday that Chet Holmgren will miss at least two months with a right knee injury, then lost 119-98 at Houston on Saturday behind Jabari Smith Jr.'s 30 points, the AP reported. The Thunder are 4-2 after a 4-0 start, and the Rockets are 6-1.
Wembanyama's big night. Victor Wembanyama had 43 points and six blocks as San Antonio beat short-handed Minnesota 121-111 for its fourth straight win, per the AP. It was his 11th career 40-point game. The Spurs visit Moda Center next Saturday.
76ers lead the East. Philadelphia is 6-1 after Tyrese Maxey scored 38 in a 109-104 win at Charlotte on Saturday with LeBron James and Joel Embiid resting, according to the AP. At the other end, Sacramento (0-6) and Brooklyn (0-5) are still looking for their first wins, per ESPN's standings.
Sources
Associated Press via ESPN: Blazers 112, Jazz 90 (Oct. 31, 2026)
Associated Press via ESPN: Blazers 136, Lakers 129 (Oct. 27, 2026); Grizzlies 124, Blazers 103 (Oct. 29, 2026)
Associated Press via ESPN: Blazers at Nuggets preview; ESPN: Blazers schedule; ESPN: NBA standings
Associated Press via ESPN: Grizzlies 136, Kings 105; Rockets 119, Thunder 98; Spurs 121, Timberwolves 111; 76ers 109, Hornets 104 (all Oct. 31, 2026)
Cover photo: Damian Lillard against the Cleveland Cavaliers, by Frenchieinportland, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
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