Starting 5: Wembanyama, Morant dominate in wins

When one of your season-high 14 assists is simply spectacular.

THE LINEUP 🏀
Nov. 1, 2024 | What’s inside today’s edition?
Wemby, Morant Go Off: Victor posts a 5×5 game, while Ja drops a triple-double
Suns Rally, Rockets Win: Phoenix rallies from 21 down in LA, Houston beats in-state rival Dallas
Costume Check: Some of our favorite looks as players embrace the Halloween spirit
Game 7 Rematches: Cavs-Magic, Wolves-Nuggets clash after two historic comebacks
League Pass Lineup: Boston looks to bounce back, while OKC seeks its first 5-0 start since 2011
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Buckle up for a Friday full of hoops…

The first night of November offers a must-see doubleheader on ESPN. Two Game 7 rematches from the 2024 Playoffs get underway as the Cavs host the Magic (7 ET) before the Nuggets visit the Wolves (9:30 ET).
Plus, League Pass features seven games, beginning with a matchup between the Celtics and Hornets (7 ET) and capped by a Thunder and Blazers battle in Portland (10 ET).
The Heat and Wizards arrived in Mexico City on Thursday night ahead of Saturday’s matchup – the NBA’s 33rd game in Mexico since 1992.
1. WEMBY, MORANT PUT UP SCARY NUMBERS ON HALLOWEEN

On Wednesday, Victor Wembanyama was held to a career-low six points in San Antonio’s loss to Oklahoma City.
Twenty-four hours later, Wemby bounced back in historic fashion – posting his second career 5×5 game (25 pts, 9 reb, 7 ast, 5 stl, 5 blk) to lead the Spurs to a 106-88 win over Utah. | Recap | Wemby’s Masterpiece
Rare Company: Since blocks and steals began being tracked in
In addition to Wembanyama’s all-around brilliance, the Spurs (2-3) got a near triple-double from Chris Paul (19 pts, 10 ast, 7 reb) while Keldon Johnson (13 pts, 4 reb), Jeremy Sochan (11 pts, 5 reb, 3 ast), Sandro Mamukelashvili (10 pts, 4-5 FG) combined to add 34 points in the win.
Coach Popovich On Wemby: “He’s more of a perimeter player

Just nine games into his 2023-24 campaign, Ja Morant’s season was cut short due to a shoulder injury suffered in early January.
Five games into his 2024-25 season, Morant reminded everyone what makes him so special, posting a monster triple-double (26 pts, 10 reb, 14 ast) in just 29 minutes while going 9-of-16 from the floor to lead the Grizzlies (3-3) to a 122-99 win over the Bucks (1-4). | Recap
Ja-Dropping: Morant put on a show with a near triple-double
Giannis’ Big Night: Giannis Antetokounmpo (37 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast, 17-22 fg) stuffed the stat sheet for the Bucks, but Milwaukee was outscored 40-24 in the 1st quarter and couldn’t catch up.
Tough Bucks Matchup? It’s the Bucks’ fourth straight loss, and the Grizzlies have now beaten them six straight times, marking Milwaukee’s longest-active losing streak against any team by four games.
2. SUNS RALLY PAST CLIPPERS AGAIN, ROCKETS TOP MAVS IN TEXAS CLASH

Suns 125, Clippers 119: The Intuit Dome has been the home to three nailbiters in its debut season’s first 10 days – with all three games decided by a total of 10 points – but still not a win by the home team.
LA led Phoenix by as many as 21 points before a scorching hot 3rd quarter got the Suns back in the game and clutch 3s in the 4th sealed the deal. | Recap
Suns On Fire: Phoenix trailed by 18 at the half and opened

Rockets 108, Mavericks 102: In a Texas showdown, the rising Rockets (3-2) took down the reigning Western Conference champs (3-2) with a wire-to-wire win thanks to double-doubles from Jalen Green (23 pts, 12 ast, 4 ast) and Alperen Sengun (17 pts, 12 reb, 4 ast) and an additional 17 points from Dillon Brooks. | Recap
Dallas Spark: Two nights after combining for 59 points in a
3. HALLOWEEN LOOKBOOK: SPOOKY STANDOUTS
Before Victor Wembanyama, Ja Morant and Devin Booker posted scary numbers on the court, players around the league turned heads during their arena arrivals.
The Halloween get-ups seem to level up in the NBA every season, and this year was no different, as the players didn’t hold back.
Check out some of the best costumes below, and click here for more.
… and Kuzma’s reaction
4. FRIDAY DOUBLEHEADER: TWO GAME 7 REMATCHES

In Game 7 of the first round of the 2024 East Playoffs, the Cavaliers came back from 18 points down to stun the Magic, marking the largest Game 7 rally in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98).
Exactly two weeks later, Cleveland’s Game 7 record was topped in the Western Conference Semifinals, as the Wolves staged a 20-point 2nd-half rally to shock the Nuggets on their home floor.
Tonight, fans will get a rematch of both matchups in a must-see doubleheader on ESPN.
Magic at Cavaliers (7 ET, ESPN): Standing with OKC as the league’s two remaining undefeated teams, will the Cavs improve to 6-0 for the first time since 2016-17? Or will the Magic (3-2) get their revenge for last year’s Playoff exit?
Cleveland’s Cooking: The Cavs are the only NBA team with at
Meanwhile, Paolo Banchero has been lighting up the stat sheet for Orlando at a record pace. But the Magic’s All-Star is out indefinitely with a torn right oblique.
A Magical Start: Banchero (29.0 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 5.6 apg) has

Nuggets at Timberwolves (9:30 ET, ESPN): The last time Anthony Edwards and the Wolves met Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets, Minnesota ended Denver’s quest for back-to-back titles in a thrilling fashion.
Will we get another classic tonight as each club looks to improve on its 2-2 record?
Game 7 Rewind: After trailing 58-38 in the 3rd quarter, the
5. BOSTON LOOKS TO BOUNCE BACK; OKC EYES 5-0 START

For the first time since Nov. 13, 2023, the Boston Celtics are not in first place in the Eastern Conference.
Tonight, the defending champs will look to take the first step back to first place in Charlotte to open a seven-game slate on League Pass.
Celtics at Hornets (7 ET): After the Pacers handed Boston (4-1) its first loss of the season on Wednesday, the C’s will look to rebound against LaMelo Ball and the Hornets (2-2).
Bounceback Boston: The C’s went 14-4 following a loss last

Thunder at Trail Blazers (10 ET): To cap the night on League Pass, the only remaining unbeaten team out West will look to keep its record unblemished as they visit Portland.
With a win tonight, OKC would improve to 5-0 for the first
Remaining League Pass games