The Denver Nuggets may have to play Sunday’s do-or-die game without Aaron Gordon.
The Nuggets forward hurt his hamstring late in Denver’s Western Conference semifinal Game 6 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Gordon came up hobbling after battling for a loose ball in the final two minutes at Ball Arena in Denver, Colo.
Gordon was reportedly diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, his status for Game 7 “is in doubt.”
Nikola Jokic has remained the Nuggets’ most important player through the first two rounds of the 2025 playoffs. But Denver likely would not be one game away from the Western Conference Finals without Gordon.
The 29-year-old was responsible for two game-winning baskets this postseason. Denver stole a win in Game 4 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers thanks to Gordon’s last-second putback slam. He also played hero when he hit a go-ahead three in Game 1 against the Thunder.
Gordon has also served as a defensive stopper at times against the likes of Kawhi Leonard and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. His two-way impact for the Nuggets has been irreplaceable thus far.
The Nuggets have yet to rule Gordon out for Game 7. However, hamstring injuries are tricky to say the least, as evidenced by Steph Curry’s inability to return from a similar issue before his Golden State Warriors were eliminated by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Gordon missed 31 games during the regular season due to injury. The Nuggets had a 17-14 record in games without the high-flying forward.
