NBA wrap: Blazers split week at 6-3 as Wembanyama scores 52 and Warriors win 7 straight (Nov. 8)
Quick Read
The Portland Trail Blazers went 2-2 this week, winning at Denver and Phoenix before losing at the Lakers and at home to San Antonio.
Portland is 6-3, eighth in the Western Conference and 1.5 games behind co-leaders Oklahoma City, San Antonio and the Lakers.
The NBA has no unbeaten or winless teams left after Memphis lost for the first time and Brooklyn and Sacramento got their first wins.
The Blazers host Oklahoma City on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Pacific on NBC and again Wednesday at 7 p.m. Shop Trail Blazers gear on Amazon.
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By Willamette News Sports Desk
The Trail Blazers stretched their perfect road start to 5-0 early in the week, then dropped two straight to a pair of the West's hottest teams. Here is Portland's week, plus what else mattered around the NBA from Nov. 1 through Nov. 7.
Blazers: 2-2 week, 6-3 overall
Monday at Denver: Blazers 118, Nuggets 110. Deni Avdija scored 28 points, nine in the fourth quarter, and Donovan Clingan had 17 points and 18 rebounds. Jrue Holiday came off the bench for 17 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, and Toumani Camara's 3-pointer with 1:09 left sealed it, according to the AP recap. Jamal Murray scored 35 for Denver.
Wednesday at Phoenix: Blazers 132, Suns 119. Damian Lillard scored 25 and Clingan added 24 as Portland won its fifth straight road game. Avdija had 21 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds, and a 43-25 second quarter turned a five-point deficit into a 72-59 halftime lead, per the AP.
Friday at Los Angeles: Lakers 124, Blazers 118. Luka Doncic scored 53 points in the NBA Cup game, including a jumper in the lane with 28 seconds left. Portland led by 16 in the second quarter, but a 32-11 Lakers run flipped the game, and the Blazers got within four but no closer. Avdija had 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, and Lillard scored 22, the AP reported.
Saturday at Moda Center: Spurs 125, Blazers 103. Victor Wembanyama scored 29 points in 24 minutes as San Antonio won its eighth straight. Avdija led Portland with 15, and rookie Yang Hansen had his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, according to the AP.
Portland is 5-1 on the road and 1-2 at home. The Blazers are third in the Northwest Division behind Oklahoma City (8-2) and Minnesota (7-3), per ESPN's standings.
Injuries
Ja Morant (hamstring), Shaedon Sharpe (knee) and Vit Krejci (ankle) are listed out, and Robert Williams III is day-to-day, according to ESPN's injury report for Tuesday's game. Morant, acquired from Memphis in June, strained his hamstring against the Grizzlies on Oct. 29.
Up next
Oklahoma City is 8-2 and has won five of seven since losing Jalen Williams, Cason Wallace and Chet Holmgren to long-term injuries. The Thunder held Washington to 75 points on Saturday, the lowest total in the NBA this season, per the AP. Portland's next four, per the team schedule on ESPN (times Pacific):
Tuesday, Nov. 10: vs. Oklahoma City at Moda Center, 8 p.m. (NBC)
Wednesday, Nov. 11: vs. Oklahoma City at Moda Center, 7 p.m. (KUNP 16, BlazerVision)
Friday, Nov. 13: at Sacramento, 7 p.m. (KUNP 16, BlazerVision)
Monday, Nov. 16: at Minnesota, 5 p.m. (KUNP 16, BlazerVision)
Around the NBA
No more perfect records. New Orleans beat Memphis 135-134 in overtime on Monday to end the Grizzlies' 6-0 start, behind 25 points from Zion Williamson and two late free throws by Jeremiah Fears, according to the AP. Memphis has lost three straight and is 6-3. At the other end, Brooklyn won for the first time on Sunday, 98-90 at Indiana (AP), and Sacramento followed Monday with a 115-100 win at Dallas behind rookie Darius Acuff Jr.'s 25 points (AP).
Wembanyama's career night. Before his 29 in Portland, Wembanyama had career highs of 52 points and 24 rebounds, plus eight blocks, in a 112-111 win over Dallas on Wednesday, per the AP. The Spurs are 8-2 and tied with Oklahoma City and the Lakers atop the West.
Warriors on a roll. Stephen Curry scored 41 points, including the go-ahead three-point play with 1:38 left in overtime, as Golden State beat Orlando 126-119 on Saturday for its seventh straight win after an 0-3 start. It was Curry's 16th 40-point game after turning 35, the most in NBA history, the AP reported. Fans can find Warriors gear on Amazon.
Doncic keeps rolling. His 53 against Portland was his sixth 40-point game in seven games, and the Lakers have won four straight, according to the AP. In the East, Philadelphia (8-2) and Boston (7-2) lead the way, while Milwaukee (1-8) has lost five straight and the Clippers (1-7) have dropped seven in a row, per ESPN's standings.
Sources
Associated Press via ESPN: Blazers 118, Nuggets 110 (Nov. 2, 2026); Blazers 132, Suns 119 (Nov. 4); Lakers 124, Blazers 118 (Nov. 6); Spurs 125, Blazers 103 (Nov. 7)
Associated Press via ESPN: Pelicans 135, Grizzlies 134 (OT); Nets 98, Pacers 90; Kings 115, Mavericks 100; Spurs 112, Mavericks 111; Warriors 126, Magic 119 (OT); Thunder 114, Wizards 75
ESPN: Portland Trail Blazers schedule; ESPN: NBA standings; ESPN: Thunder at Trail Blazers game page and injury report
Cover photo: Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center, December 2013, by Another Believer, via Wikimedia Commons, licensed CC BY-SA 3.0
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