Oklahoma City – Aaron Gordon, power forward for the Denver Nuggets, was cleared to play in Game 7 against the Oklahoma City Thunder, despite suffering a left hamstring strain. He was included in the starting lineup.
The announcement of Gordon’s situation was made about 35 minutes before the start of the match, after his individual warm-up. During that session, he did not perform explosive movements.
Gordon’s injury occurred at the end of the fourth quarter in the Game 6 victory, which extended the series. His participation was doubtful before Sunday’s game.
Gordon, a key element on the Denver team that won the 2022-23 season title, has been a major force during the Nuggets’ postseason. He is averaging career playoff highs with 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds, in addition to having made several crucial plays.
The Nuggets are 5-0 in this postseason when Gordon scores at least 20 points. His seven assists in Game 6 equal the most in any playoff game of his career.
Gordon has scored two game-winning shots this postseason: a putback dunk at the buzzer in Game 4 against the LA Clippers and a three-pointer with three seconds left in Game 1 against the Thunder. He also scored a three-pointer with 28 seconds remaining in regulation that forced overtime in Denver’s Game 3 victory over Oklahoma City.
Injuries limited the 29-year-old Gordon to 51 games during the regular season. He was absent for two extended periods due to a right calf strain, which he is also managing.
If Aaron can play, he will play. That’s just him. There’s a lot of toughness there. Sometimes, being really, really tough and being injured can get in the way.
David Adelman, Interim Coach
