NBA Schedule Features Morant Reunion and Battle of Winless Clubs

Three games comprise the NBA schedule on Thursday, October 29, highlighted by a collision of undefeated Western Conference contenders as Ja Morant faces the Memphis Grizzlies for the first time since joining the Portland Trail Blazers. The evening lineup also features two Eastern Conference squads navigating the second night of a back-to-back in Atlanta, alongside a battle in New Orleans between two franchises seeking their first victory of the regular season.

The premier matchup in Portland pits the 4-0 Grizzlies against the 3-0 Trail Blazers. The contest marks Morant's first appearance against his former club following an offseason move away from Memphis. In Portland, Morant now shares the backcourt with Damian Lillard, who recently returned to the floor after spending roughly 16 months recovering from an Achilles tear. Under first-year head coach Micah Nori, the Trail Blazers enter the night with a net rating of plus 16.9 and an average of 129.3 points per home game while shooting 51.1 percent from the field.

Memphis enters the game exceeding preseason expectations that projected the franchise for fewer than 30 victories amid a rebuilding campaign. Featuring contributions from Ty Jerome, the Grizzlies arrive ranked second in the Western Conference. Both teams will navigate missing personnel, as Portland remains without Shaedon Sharpe due to a knee injury and C. Youngblood because of an ankle ailment.

Elsewhere on the schedule, the Cleveland Cavaliers travel to face the Atlanta Hawks with both teams competing on zero rest. Cleveland holds a 3-1 record and the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference on the heels of a three-game winning streak. The Hawks sit at 2-3, having dropped three consecutive matchups after winning on opening night. Atlanta has seen elevated scoring totals recently, averaging 240.5 combined points per contest across its last two outings.

Both Eastern Conference rosters face thin rotations heading into the second leg of their back-to-backs. Atlanta continues to be without Mouhamed Gueye following summer surgery on a fractured left foot, while center Henri Veesaar remains out for the season. Cleveland will play without forward N. Tomlin. The matchup at State Farm Arena also garnered outside attention after the arena schedule prevented the WNBA Finals from hosting Game 6 in primetime between the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries, forcing that title game into an early afternoon slot.

The final fixture on Thursday's slate takes place in New Orleans, where the Sacramento Kings and the New Orleans Pelicans meet with identical 0-4 records. Positioned 15th and 14th in the Western Conference standings, respectively, both organizations enter the matchup searching for their first win of the season while dealing with lopsided turnaround windows.

The Pelicans face the physical toll of a back-to-back after sustaining a 13-point road loss against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday. New Orleans has listed Jordan Poole as questionable with an ankle concern, and Yves Missi is ruled out due to a knee injury. The Kings arrive with a full day of rest between contests, but Sacramento remains severely short-handed with four regular contributors—Keegan Murray, D. Cardwell, M. Raynaud, and B. Simmons—sidelined for the road test.