2:07 pm: Gordon has been listed as available for Game 7 (Twitter link). He’ll get the start and will attempt to play through a hamstring injury that typically takes weeks to heal, tweets Charania.
8:56 am: Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 hamstring strain that will likely prevent him from playing in today’s Game 7 at Oklahoma City, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
Gordon is still hoping to be active for the series-deciding contest, but Charania hears that it’s “becoming physically improbable to do so” because he’ll need several weeks to fully recover from the injury.
Gordon, who hurt his hamstring late in Denver’s Game 6 victory, participated in Saturday’s walkthrough in hopes of receiving medical clearance, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. He is listed as questionable on the team’s official injury report and was expected to be a game-time decision.
“Obviously, (team medical staff) will do whatever they have to do for the safety of a person. But yeah, I don’t know,” interim coach David Adelman responded Saturday when asked about Gordon’s chances to play. “I’m sure the hoops (to jump through in order to play) are probably smaller because the game’s coming so quickly. It’s not a thing where he has three weeks to go through it. So it’ll probably be his comfortability along with the medical staff’s advice on what he can and can’t do. … If they say he’s available, he will start.”
Durando reports that Gordon was already dealing with the remnants of a calf strain that has been affecting him all season.
If Gordon doesn’t receive medical clearance, Durando expects either Russell Westbrook or Peyton Watson to take his place in the starting lineup. Adelman prepared for both scenarios during the walkthrough.
“You talk about plays you’re gonna run early in the game, actions to attack people. Some other guys took (Gordon’s) ball-handling responsibilities in case (he’s out),” Adelman said. “We know that’s where Aaron is so underrated and impactful, when he brings the ball up the court. So the other guys have to know those simple actions, but they’re not simple if you’ve never done them. So we walked through a lot of stuff today with different people. … But like I said, the hope is the responsibilities will be Aaron’s.”
He is the sole reason Denver hasnt been eliminated yet, so he would be a big loss for them
@Brabo
He would be foolish to play with a grade 2 (tear). It’s too risky.
True but we have seen time and time again that nba teams dont really care.
If this is the last game of his career but they get the win, I feel like they think they can win the rest of the games without him and they wont really care about what happens to him, so I could see the organization pushing him to play.
Jokic is too powerful. Someone got to Gordon. This is troubling. Check his bank account. Follow the money…
STFU
Spierdalaj
@ Lil D
Comments like this are why this place should have a downvote option.
Why so you can protect billionaire owners from accountability? Slug mentality
This really sucks for the Nuggets. I really hate to see this, but these injuries seem to be a way of life the last few years in the NBA playoffs.
As with many teams, there’s a guy in the spotlight who needs to step up in these cases. Will Michael Porter Jr get it done today? We shall see.
Damn shame, especially because Gordon has worked so hard time Bach from his past Iinjury, and sis playing the best basketball of his career.
No way he can play at playoff level NBA. Now that is 2 teams going down because of a hammy.
They were gonna lose had he played anyway. Weren’t winning game 7in OKC. (The one they did win, they stole at the end. Wasn’t happening again.)
I agree. Him not playing might be worse though (the trap game aspect)
> Now that is 2 teams going down because of a hammy.
Gordon’s is a Grade 2, indicating it happened suddently. Probably unavoidable.
Steph’s hamstring injury was diagnosed as due to “overuse”. Too many minutes, in too many games, not enough rest in-between. It’s not necessarily preventable, but, as Steph said in his exit interview yesterday, he will be resting more next season.
Who diagnosed Curry’s injury from “overuse?” Some Internet doctor?
Steph’s was milder, but also happened suddenly. That was a weird comment (I’ve seen nothing about it being diagnosed as “due to overuse”.
The “overuse” nature of the industry has been discussed ad nauseum in the Bay Area media for the last week. There was a segment on 95.7 The Game last week with Dr Niryav Panda, not the attending doc in this case, but who is in the know, who talked about it a bit, and how the hammy is a classic overuse injury.
By “suddenly”, in this case we mean that it was not associated with a single incident: “Grade I strain of the left biceps femoris due to overuse, with no single inciting incident”
In other words, speculation on youtube by people who had never even looked at his injury.
> In other words, speculation on youtube by people who
> had never even looked at his injury.
No, exactly the opposite. By medical professionals with access to the diagnosis, which is public.
The full medical diagnosis does not have to be publicly released by the team, but league rules require “reasonable specificity”.
“overuse” is the term, yes
Curry was injured because Kuminga and Moody are bad
From 2013 to 2025
Warriors have 3 lottery picks
Wiseman Kuminga Moody
Who is in charge of lottery picks for Warriors?
Moody and Podz were doing great heading into the postseason but absolutely crapped the bed scoring wise once the playoffs started, and Moody wasn’t a lottery pick. Owner Lacob had big influence on the Wiseman & Kuminga picks. Wiseman’s body health has betrayed him, Kuminga showed his worth as a swing starter early this season until the Butler acquisition (and when Steph went down Game 1 semis), he can score, but Kerr remains stubborn trying to play only Gravity Steph Offense 100% of the time (at age 37 soon 38) which he cannot do because injuries/fatigue will be worse. Even Butler & Draymond said they can play with Kuminga but Kerr just wants run his system & Steph into the ground instead of being flexible with the young player strengths.
Crazy that shams said that nugs will look to rely on strawther and Watson in Gordon’s absence, and didn’t mention Westbrook, after how Westbrook stepped up during the regular season when Gordon went down a month.
Strawther is clearly an MPJ filler, while Westbrook & Watson can help carry the physicality load that Gordon brought.
Westbrook still turns the ball over at a high rate and still can’t shoot 3’s.
I think the nugs win this if MPJ plays under 30 mins again.
Grade 2 is 2-3 months recovery, at least it was for me.
The game was decided at that point, why did they keep him in?
NBA Playoffs is 20% talent & coaching 80% injury atrition luck!! But I love the parity of the League, looking forward to a new team champ next month as my Warriors rest up to try again next season :)
No shot he will actually play or be effective. Grade 2 hamstring strains are “you shouldnt really leave your couch for like a month”-level.
I love Gordon’s dedication but playing through this could be costly for him in the long term. Hopefully coach doesn’t put him in.
BREAKING: Shams’ last breaking news on Gordon was wrong.
Shams writes for clicks. Not sure why anyone would care about what he has to say.
Nnaji is a player who should be part of rotation by now. Unfortunately it seems Nuggets don’t trust him. Another wasted pick.
It was so weird when they gave him a nice sized extension. They didn’t even let him test FA, I guess they did it to try and use the money in a deal. No team wants him because he isn’t trusted to back up Jokic and he is the only real big guy they have with youth. He can’t back him up or be useful to play alongside him.
I cannot believe he’s playing but also playing well so far. Good for him. I hope he doesn’t aggravate the injury.
Will he show out like Willis Reed did despite the injury? Like Isiah Thomas the hofer did?
Gordon is not moving right. But I applaud him for playing. Guy is a baller.
It’s been OKC defense. Thats who they are. Those young legs can put a lot of pressure on team offenses. OKC already has three bench players at over 10 mins. Thats who they are. They wear you down.
Congratulations to OKC …..
TimberWolves vs Thunder will be epic ..
So how’s that trade looking now ….
Thunder in 5
So far so good. Rudy is in the Western Conference finals, which is an accomplishment in any man’s book.
The cost was huge, but here we are.
Unless you’re talking about the thunder trade of giddy? Well that’s worked out pretty well too. They got a grinder in Caruso. Also able to afford the big man.
Both teams making the deals at the right time. Kudos.
Spotlight on the Towns-Randle trade, which I believe the Knicks won decisively.
Too bad for the Wolves that they traded Towns. He might have given them a shot against OKC (if a long one). No team, including DEN, bullies OKC down low.
If OKC beats MIN handily, the Towns-Randle trade will go down as the deal that stopped MIN’s shot at a title in this era.
Ari, the Towns Randall Dante DiVincenzo trade was a money trade. You don’t trade away Karl Anthony Townes to try and get better lol. The Timberwolves hands were forced.
And I guess you’re not alone. If Al was writing on the Town‘s Randall trade, he didn’t understand it either.
Gary, I assumed Al was referring to Caruso for Giddey, but what do I know.
You are absolutely right about the Towns Randle DDV trade. Minny had to do it for financial reasons, and it’s questionable if Randle returns to Minny next season.
But if I’d been Minny GM, I would have moved some or all of McDaniels, Reid, or Conley to keep Towns, who we now know for sure is a Top 20 player.
IMO, without Towns, Minnesota will be stuck in the 2nd tier for the next 3 years, at the least.
Ok gotcha… it’s funny the three of us could be talking about three different trades lol
UPDATE: didn’t work.
Neither did I. It’s Sunday.
I felt like a professional athlete too. Nice pregame nap lol
Breakthrough game for OKC. Young team proves to themselves they’re dominant.
PREDICTIONS
OKC vs MIN : OKC in 5
NY vs IND : NY in 7
OKC vs NY : OKC in 4
I got OKC/Pacers and Pacers in 7
I agree that OKC beats the Wolves in 5
I think the Knicks got lucky with the Celtics’ injuries. Pacers in 6.
OKC over Pacers in 7