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

Suit 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

FIRST GOAL…

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 AND) 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 AND) and capped by a Thunder and Blazers battle in Portland (10 AND).

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 1973-74, only 15 players have ever recorded a 5×5 game: finishing with five or more in all five statistical categories
• Rarer Company: Wemby joins Hakeem Olajuwon (6) and Andrei Kirilenko (3) as the only players with multiple career 5×5 games
• Rarerest Company: Only Wemby (2) and Hakeem (4) have multiple 25+ point 5×5 games – Victor’s first came in February against the Lakers. This feels like the right time to remind you that Wemby has only played 76 career games so far

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 than he is a post player. We want him to be able to do everything – isolate, shoot, do the whole deal – we just can’t do it all at once.”

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 by halftime (21 pts, 8 reb, 9 ast), highlighted by an outrageous alley-oop dime while sitting down
• Franchise History: Morant posted his 100th career 25-point game, making him the first Grizzlies player to reach the mark. It’s also his 12th career triple-double and his first since April 2, 2023
• Morant: “Hearing the guys tell me I’m what makes them go gives me even more confidence. Tonight, I just came out (being) aggressive … Talking with (Desmond Bane), he told me I got to play like this each and every night. Even if it’s not to score, being aggressive (and) making the right plays for us.”

Giannis’ Big Night: Giannis Antetokounmpo (37 pts, 11 reb, 4 ast, 17-22 fg) stuffed the stat sheet for the Bucks, goal 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 the 3rd quarter by making their first 15 shots. They finished the period shooting 16-of-20, won the quarter 39-23 and cut the lead to two
• Book Drops 40 Piece: Devin Booker scored a season-high 40 pointsincluding the go-ahead 3-pointer with 5:15 left in the 4th, another to push the lead to six with 2:58 to play and assisted Royce O’Neale’s dagger 3 with 45 seconds left
• Already seen: These same teams put in this same building to open their seasons on Oct. 23, with the Suns rallying back from a double-digit deficit to get the win. Eight days later, they did it again

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 win over the Wolves, Luka Dončić (29 pts, 5 reb, 12-25 FG) and Kyrie Irving (28 pts, 8 reb, 7 ast) combined for 57.
• Goal Klay Thompson – who became the sixth player to reach 2,500 career 3s – was the only other Mav in double figures with 12 points
• The Difference: Meanwhile, Houston had six players score 10+, and after Dallas cut a 23-point deficit to three with 1:08 left, Amen Thompson (10 pts) and Brooks knocked down consecutive jumpers to put the game away

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.

Victor Wembanyama as Kaonashi from Spirited Away | Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Walker Kessler as Woody from Toy Story | Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Jay Huff as Kyle Kuzma | Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

…and Kuzma’s reaction

John Collins as Kakashi from Naruto | Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images

Daniel Gafford as Inspector Gadget | Glenn James/NBAE via Getty Images

Marcus Smart Marcus Smart as a Jabbawockee | Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Santi Aldama as Batman | Joe Murphy/NBAE via Getty Images

Even though the Pacers didn’t play on Halloween, Pascal Siakam delivered as Andre 3000 from OutKast | Pascal Siakam via

4. FRIDAY DOUBLEHEADER: TWO GAME 7 REMATCHES

In Game 7 of the first round of the 2024 East Playoffs, tea 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 least their top three scorers all shooting 50% or above. The Cavs have six: Donovan Mitchell (23.8 ppg), Evan Mobley (19.2), Darius Garland (17.8) and Jarrett Allen (17.8), Caris LeVert (11.8) and Ty Jerome (11.4)

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 joined LeBron James (2x), Luka Dončić and Oscar Robertson as the only players to average at least 25/5/5 through the first five games of a season at age 21 or younger — highlighted by a career-high 50 points on Monday
• Orlando Without Paolo: Banchero only missed two games last season. In those two games, the Magic went 1-1 and Franz Wagner led the team in scoring with 20.0 ppg

Nuggets at Timberwolves (9:30 a.m. 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 Wolves stormed back to stun Denver, 98-90, marking a record rally and Minnesota’s first West Finals appearance since 2004
• Flash Forward: After posting back-to-back 40-point games, Jokić recorded a historic triple-double (29 pts, 18 reb, 16 ast) in Tuesday’s win against the Nets, marking Denver’s second straight OT victory
• Stars Shining: Jokić’s 31.5 ppg is tied with Tyrese Maxey for the most in the NBA, while Edwards ranks sixth with 30.0 ppg

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 fields 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).

• BouncebackBoston: The C’s went 14-4 following a loss last regular season and have gone 6-1 against Charlotte over the last two years
• Clicking fields: Jayson Tatum (30.2 ppg) and Jaylen Brown (25.8) are combining for 56.0 points per game, and the Celtics are burying a league-high 21.0 triples per game — 4.5 more than their NBA-best 16.5 3s last season
• LaMelo Ballin’: Through four games, Ball (28.5 ppg, 7.0 apg, 4.8 3s) is the only player in the NBA averaging 25+ points, 7+ assists and 4+ made 3s per game

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 visited Portland.

• With a win tonight, OKC would improve to 5-0 for the first time since 2011-12 — the last season they made the NBA Finals
• Thunderous Defense: OKC leads the NBA in defensive rating (91.3) while allowing a league-best 94.8 ppg this season
• Blazers Brewing? Led by Anfernee Simons’ 25 points and six assists, the Blazers beat the Clippers on Wednesday, 106-105, for their second win in three games
• Anfernee & Ayton: Simons leads Portland in scoring (20.6 ppg) and Deandre Ayton (14.4 ppg, 12.2 rpg) has posted a double-double in all five games Remaining League Pass games

Remaining League Pass games