Morant scores 35 points, Memphis uses a third-quarter rally to beat New Orleans 128-122

WASHINGTON. ALL RIGHT, WELL, IF YOU’RE A FAN OF THE COOLER WEATHER, IT’S ON THE WAY, ESPECIALLY FOR TOMORROW MORNING. I’LL GET TO THAT IN A SECOND. BUT LOOK AT THAT BEAUTIFUL VIEW THERE BEHIND ME. CRYSTAL CLEAR BLUE SKY AND LOTS OF SUNSHINE. AND IT’S ALL REALLY THANKS TO HIGH PRESSURE THAT’S JUST OFF TO THE NORTH OF US, BEHIND THAT COLD FRONT THAT JUST PUSHED THROUGH HERE YESTERDAY. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT NORTHERLY WIND HERE DRAGGING IN THE DRIER AIR, AND ALSO THE COOLER AIR RIGHT OVER US NOW IN SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA. YOU’RE DEFINITELY GOING TO NOTICE IT FOR TOMORROW MORNING THOUGH. BUT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT NOW CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA LOOKING NICE AND CLEAR AND PRETTY QUIET AS WELL. TAKING YOU TO THE FUTURECAST, YOU CAN SEE THAT WE MAY SEE A FEW CLOUDS THAT COULD SNEAK IN HEADING INTO TONIGHT, AND SOME OF THOSE CLOUDS KIND OF OFF AND ON HERE TO OVERNIGHT THROUGH EARLY TOMORROW MORNING. BUT WE WILL BE LOOKING AT SOME OVERCAST CONDITIONS THOUGH AS WE HEAD INTO TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH SOME INCREASING CLOUD COVER JUST IN GENERAL, AS THIS NEXT SYSTEM BEGINS TO APPROACH US FROM THE WEST. SO TOMORROW, PROBABLY NOT SEEING A WHOLE LOT OF SUNSHINE AS THAT HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM BEGINS TO PULL AWAY. BUT LOOK AT THE NORTH SHORE LOWS TOMORROW MORNING, DROPPING INTO THE 40S AND EVEN THE LOWER 50S AS WE HEAD INTO FRIDAY MORNING. THEN WE’RE BACK IN THE 60S FOR THIS WEEKEND, ALSO INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. SOUTH SHORE LOW TEMPERATURES TOMORROW. NOT AS WARM OR NOT AS COOL, RATHER, BUT WE WILL BE AT LEAST NEAR 60 DEGREES THOUGH TOMORROW AND AGAIN ON FRIDAY MORNING. THEN WE’RE BACK IN THE UPPER 60S LOW 70S THIS WEEKEND AND ALSO INTO NEXT WEEK. BUT EVERYONE THOUGH, HOWEVER, IS GOING TO BE FEELING THOSE LOWER 80S DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS TOMORROW, SO IT WILL FEEL PRETTY PLEASANT OUT THERE HERE TOO. BUT THE HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM PRETTY MUCH GOING TO BE MOVING AWAY FROM US. THAT SHOULD ALLOW SOME OF THOSE CLOUDS TO BEGIN TO INCREASE. AND I’M WATCHING THIS NEXT SYSTEM THAT YOU SEE HERE, BACK TO THE WEST OF US, THAT IS GOING TO BE MOVING TOWARDS US TO GIVE US INCREASING MOISTURE, LEADING TO THE RAIN AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. MORE SO AS WE HEAD INTO THE DAY ON SUNDAY. AND THAT IS WHY I DO HAVE RAIN CHANCES AT THEIR HIGHEST LATE THIS WEEKEND. ON SUNDAY AT 80%. AND THEN BEHIND THAT SYSTEM, THOSE RAIN CHANCES DROP TO PRETTY MUCH ZERO. BUT I DO HAVE THE HEAVIEST RAIN, MAINLY STAYING OFF TO THE NORTH OF US SOUTHEAST LOUISIANA. MORE THAN LIKELY GOING TO SEE THAT 1 TO 2 INCH MARK WITH SOME LOCALLY HIGHER TOTALS ALSO POSSIBLE, BUT PLEASANT AND PRETTY COMFORTABLE CONDITIONS IN STORE TOMORROW AND FRIDAY. AND THEN ONCE THAT SYSTEM GETS CLOSER, YOU MAY NOTICE IT MAY BE A LITTLE BIT STICKY AND THEN MUGGY HERE, ESPECIALLY INTO SUNDAY AS THAT SYSTEM INCHES CLOSER WITH ALL THE MOISTURE IN PLACE. SPEAKING OF MOISTURE, LOOK AT THIS THING HERE IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA. PRETTY LOPSIDED TROPICAL STORM IT IS. MELISSA, THIS IS THE LATEST ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER. AS OF 4:00, IT’S MOVING VERY SLOWLY STILL TO THE WEST NORTHWEST AT TWO. IT’S GOT WINDS SUSTAINED AT 50 MILES AN HOUR. AND THERE’S THE FORECAST TRACK MOVING VERY SLOWLY OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. HOWEVER, THAT BEING SAID, IT COULD BECOME A VERY STRONG, POWERFUL CATEGORY FOUR HURRICANE IT LOOKS LIKE NOW HEADING INTO MONDAY, AND THAT’S GOING TO REMAIN SOUTH OF JAMAICA. BUT THE REASON WHY THAT CONE LOOKS LIKE IT’S A CIRCLE OF UNCERTAINTY IS BECAUSE THERE’S SOME DIFFERENCES IN THE MODELS. SOME OF THEM TAKE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER WEST, SOME TAKE IT FURTHER EAST. BUT EITHER WAY, WE EXPECT THIS NORTHEAST TURN TO TAKE PLACE SOMEWHERE IN THE CARIBBEAN. ONCE IT FEELS THE JET STREAM OFF TO THE NORTH. THAT’S JUST SOMETHING THAT WE’RE JUST WATCHING AND WAITING RIGHT NOW. THAT’S A LOOK AT YOUR WDSU FIRST WARNING, SEVEN DAY FORECAST. GOOD RAI

Updated: 10:49 PM CDT Oct 22, 2025

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Ja Morant scored 35 points, including a key basket with 32.9 seconds to play, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans 128-122 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.Morant’s basket gave the Grizzlies a 122-118 lead. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Morant hit free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.Jaren Jackson finished with 18 points before fouling out. Caldwell-Pope finished with 15 points. Rookie Cedric Coward hit all five of his shots from the field for 14 points.Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 27 points, nine rebounds, five steals and five assists. Herbert Jones, Jordan Poole and rookie Jeremiah Fears, the seventh pick in last summer’s draft, finished with 17 points each.A 27-6 Memphis rally in the third quarter erased New Orleans’ lead. That was part of a 41-22 period for a 97-89 Memphis lead entering the fourth.The game featured the top two picks in the 2019 NBA draft — Williamson, picked first, followed by Morant for the Grizzlies at No. 2.New Orleans is trying to turn around a 21-61 season where it finished 14th in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Memphis was coming off a first-round elimination in the postseason by eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City.Memphis, already short on players because of injuries, dealt with foul trouble in the first half, which helped the Pelicans build a 67-56 lead at the break.Memphis took over the game in the third quarter with a major run that erased the a quick start by New Orleans.Up nextPelicans: Host the Spurs in the home opener on Friday night.Grizzlies: Host the Heat on Friday night.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. —

Ja Morant scored 35 points, including a key basket with 32.9 seconds to play, and the Memphis Grizzlies beat the New Orleans Pelicans 128-122 on Wednesday night in the season opener for both teams.

Morant’s basket gave the Grizzlies a 122-118 lead. Olivier-Maxence Prosper, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Morant hit free throws in the closing seconds to seal the victory.

Jaren Jackson finished with 18 points before fouling out. Caldwell-Pope finished with 15 points. Rookie Cedric Coward hit all five of his shots from the field for 14 points.

Zion Williamson led the Pelicans with 27 points, nine rebounds, five steals and five assists. Herbert Jones, Jordan Poole and rookie Jeremiah Fears, the seventh pick in last summer’s draft, finished with 17 points each.

A 27-6 Memphis rally in the third quarter erased New Orleans’ lead. That was part of a 41-22 period for a 97-89 Memphis lead entering the fourth.

The game featured the top two picks in the 2019 NBA draft — Williamson, picked first, followed by Morant for the Grizzlies at No. 2.

New Orleans is trying to turn around a 21-61 season where it finished 14th in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, Memphis was coming off a first-round elimination in the postseason by eventual NBA champion Oklahoma City.

Memphis, already short on players because of injuries, dealt with foul trouble in the first half, which helped the Pelicans build a 67-56 lead at the break.

Memphis took over the game in the third quarter with a major run that erased the a quick start by New Orleans.

Up next

Pelicans: Host the Spurs in the home opener on Friday night.

Grizzlies: Host the Heat on Friday night.

Morant scores 35 points, Memphis uses a third-quarter rally to beat New Orleans 128-122

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