Morant faces former side as unbeaten Blazers host Grizzlies

Ja Morant was set for his first game against the Memphis Grizzlies since his June trade when the unbeaten Portland Trail Blazers hosted his former team on Thursday, 29 October. Portland entered at 3-0 and Memphis at 4-0.

Portland acquired Morant from Memphis in exchange for forwards Jerami Grant and Kris Murray. His first meeting with the Grizzlies added a personal dimension to a contest between two of the NBA’s three remaining unbeaten teams at the time.

Portland’s strong start

Morant entered the game averaging 16.3 points on 58.8% shooting and 6.3 assists. He had joined a Portland backcourt featuring Damian Lillard, who was averaging 21.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.

Forward Deni Avdija had also contributed 22.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game. Portland led the NBA in scoring at 129.3 points per game, as well as in made field goals and assist-to-turnover ratio.

The Trail Blazers’ third win came on Monday, when they beat the previously unbeaten Lakers 136-129. It was only the second time in 15 seasons that Portland had opened 3-0. The team had also won three of its four meetings with Memphis last season, including its past three home games in the series.

Jerome drives Memphis run

Memphis arrived with a 4-0 record despite having traded both Morant and Jaren Jackson. It was only the second 4-0 start in Grizzlies history; the 2014-15 team began 6-0.

Guard Ty Jerome had led the early scoring surge, averaging 29.8 points per game after entering the season with a career average of 9.7. He was also averaging 19.0 points in second halves and 10.0 in fourth quarters, the highest figures in the NBA among players with at least three appearances.

The Grizzlies had led at half-time and made more three-pointers than their opponents in each of their four games. Their latest victory was a 110-105 win at Utah on Monday.

What the meeting would test

The Portland game was the final stop of Memphis’s four-game trip. The Grizzlies had not swept a trip of at least four games since November 2013, while the Trail Blazers had a chance to extend their unbeaten opening under coach Micah Nori.

For Morant, it was an immediate opportunity to face the team he left in June. For both clubs, it was a meeting that would end at least one unbeaten start.