Aaron Gordon’s status for Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder is up in the air after suffering recent injuries. Credit Denver Nuggets Their forward has helped stabilize the championship team’s shaky start to the season. He exited Game 6 late in the fourth quarter with hamstring tightness. It’s hard to overstate the difficult spot that he was in this last season. A right calf strain knocked him out for two separate long stretches.
Even with these misfortunes, Gordon has been the impact player for the playoffs. He’s averaging a career-high 16.8 points per game. He’s averaging 7.3 rebounds per game too, a personal high. His hour long performance included a series of unforgettable moments. In particular, he had a signature – and vicious – buzzer-beating putback dunk in Game 4 against the LA Clippers, and knocked down a highly-clutch 3-pointer with three seconds left in Game 1 against the Thunder.
Gordon’s knack for stepping up in the clutch has been on display throughout the playoffs, but none bigger than in game 5. He made an overtime-forcing three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining in regulation during the Nuggets’ victory in Game 3 against Oklahoma City. He’s hit two game-winning buzzer-beaters in the playoffs, emphasizing how vital he is to the team’s success.
Yet his recent diagnosis of a left hamstring strain adds question marks to whether he’ll be available for that potentially decisive matchup. Gordon’s injuries have already limited him to only 51 games during the regular season, and at 29 years old, his health is crucial for the Nuggets’ championship aspirations.
The Nuggets will continue to monitor Gordon’s condition closely as they head into what will be a do-or-die Game 7. How important his continued presence on the court would be for Denver can hardly be overstated. Their sights are set on winning their next postseason game and continuing their run toward another championship.
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