Aaron Gordon on Sunday pleaded his case for the NBA to make some changes to how it schedules the playoffs.
The Denver Nuggets star was arguably the biggest playoff hero in the 2025 postseason, with two game-winning shots to his name over the last two weeks alone. But Gordon suffered a last-minute injury in Game 6 of the Nuggets’ Western Conference semifinal series against the Oklahoma City Thunder that put his status into question heading into Game 7.
Gordon did suit up on Sunday against the Thunder, risking a potential aggravation of the grade 2 hamstring strain he was diagnosed with earlier this week. He finished Game 7 with a respectable 8 points and 11 rebounds, but his efforts weren’t enough as the Thunder blew the Nuggets out 125-93.
After the game, Gordon called for the NBA to provide teams with more rest in between playoff games.
“I would really, really appreciate it if there were a couple of days in between games in the playoffs instead of every other day, regardless if you go seven games,” the Nuggets forward said.
“I think the days in between games, a travel day and a recovery day, just two days, I think the product of the game would be a lot better. I think there’d be a better product on the floor. … You’ll see a higher level of basketball. Probably less blowouts.”
On one hand, some see the grueling gauntlet of games as an intrinsic part of what makes the NBA playoffs so challenging. Teams that can beat their opponents in fewer games are rewarded with additional rest before their next series. The format also benefits squads with deeper rosters equipped to play well into May and June.
On the other hand, the current format takes a toll on top players who carry heavier loads for their respective teams. The NBA saw a rash of injuries to stars this postseason alone, with names like Jayson Tatum, Damian Lillard, Steph Curry, and Gordon all getting hurt to varying degrees over the last few weeks.
The Nuggets played in two seven-game series over the span of 29 days from April 19 to May 18. During that span, there were only three instances when Denver had two days of rest between games.
Had the Nuggets won Sunday’s Game 7, they would have had to fly back to Colorado to host the well-rested Minnesota Timberwolves in about 48 hours.
