“Mr. Nugget” is gutting it out with the team’s season on the line.
Playoff standout and championship-winning forward Aaron Gordon is set to participate in Game 7 against the Thunder on Sunday, despite dealing with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that occurred late in Denver’s Game 6 win at home.
The Nuggets are in Oklahoma City to take on the top-seeded Thunder, who are the current favorites for the NBA title, in a Western Conference semifinal. This game will decide who the Minnesota Timberwolves will face in the Western Conference Finals.
The Western Conference Finals are scheduled to begin on Tuesday evening, with the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 hosting due to seeding.
Although hamstring injuries can take weeks to heal due to their unpredictable nature, Gordon will push through with Denver’s season depending on this game.
He was initially declared doubtful despite having just two days to recover in between Games 6 and 7.
Golden State Warriors megastar Stephen Curry had a similar hamstring injury during Game 1 of his team’s series against the Timberwolves, and Minnesota went on to win 4-1 as Curry did not play another game in the series.
Curry was expected to have a chance at returning for Game 6 over one week removed from the setback, pending a positive result stemming from a reevaluation.
Gordon, whose official status had been doubtful, has been instrumental in the Nuggets’ playoff run, averaging 16.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over 38.2 minutes per game.
His contributions include two game-winning shots: a buzzer-beating dunk in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers and a near last-second 3-pointer in Game 1 against the Thunder to give Denver a 1-0 lead in this current series.
Despite participating in a team walkthrough on Saturday, interim head coach David Adelman indicated that Gordon’s availability would depend on his comfort level and medical advice.
Gordon is their best defensive player from a versatility standpoint and is one of the team’s best offensive complements to multiple-time MVP Nikola Jokic.
Tipoff is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET at the Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.
