What happened: The Portland Trail Blazers are scheduled to play the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. The matchup marks an early-season Western Conference road contest for Portland in Denver.

Why it matters: Early-season conference matchups play a key role in establishing positioning in the Western Conference standings. Denver seeks to establish momentum on its home court during the opening weeks of the regular season calendar.

What to watch: Tipoff is scheduled for 9:00 PM ET on Monday, Nov. 2.