Northwest Notes: Gordon, Trail Blazers, Holiday, Bailey
The Nuggets have been using Aaron Gordon off the bench since he returned from a hamstring strain to maximize the value of his limited minutes, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Coach David Adelman wants Gordon to be available to help close out games, so he’s playing him strategically the rest of the time.
“When you have a minute restriction, if you start somebody, they sit for so long before you put them back in. So this allows me to kind of play with the minutes,” Adelman said after Friday’s loss to Atlanta. He pointed out that a starting lineup with Hunter Tyson and DaRon Holmes was able to keep the game close until Gordon checked in.
Gordon logged 24 minutes on Friday, the most he has played in any of the three games since his return after a six-week absence, and finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists. He said the hamstring feels “fine” now, but he’s still adjusting to the unfamiliar role.
“I’m just trying to figure out the flow of my minutes, you know? It’s a longer halftime for me right now, for going in at halftime, then coming off the bench out of halftime,” Gordon said. “It’s a little bit longer for me. So I’m just trying to figure out how I can continue to get my body back and contribute more in the second half. And help my team win. I feel like if I was better in the second half, we would have won that game. At least in the fourth quarter. So I take this one on me.”
There’s more from the Northwest Division:
- The Trail Blazers are on a five-game winning streak, triggering memories of last season’s second-half surge, Sean Highkin of The Rose Garden Report states in a subscriber-only story. Injury issues created opportunities for two-way players Sidy Cissoko and Caleb Love, who have become trusted parts of the rotation. “It’s just the confidence that these guys are getting,” interim coach Tiago Splitter said. “True minutes, meaningful minutes. Knowing that we have a system and a way to play, and we just follow it.”
- Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday is close to returning after missing the past 27 games with a right calf strain, according to Joe Freeman of the Oregonian. He has been upgraded to questionable for Sunday’s game against New York and could be back on the court for the first time since November 14. Freeman notes that Holiday was originally expected to be reevaluated in one to two weeks, but the injury continued to linger. In 12 games, Holiday is averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists in 33.4 minutes per night.
- Jazz rookie Ace Bailey was only able to play 10 minutes on Wednesday against Oklahoma City as he tried to return from a strained hip flexor. It’s the only time he’s been on the court since suffering the injury on December 26. “Yeah, it’s still day to day,” coach Will Hardy told reporters, per Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “You know, he felt like he could go in OKC, and then after his first two shifts, we didn’t love how he looked moving, he didn’t love how he felt, and so we don’t want to put him in a position that hurts him. So we’re taking it day by day. He’s working really hard. He was on the court today. Still got a long way to go.”
Nuggets Notes: Depth, Jokic, Braun, Gordon, Murray, Holmes
With Christian Braun and Aaron Gordon back in action on Sunday in Brooklyn following extended injury absences, the Nuggets submitted a disappointing effort that head coach David Adelman referred to as “embarrassing” and “unprofessional,” resulting in a 12-point loss to the Nets.
A day later, all five of Denver’s regular starters were inactive on Monday in Philadelphia for the second game of a back-to-back, as Adelman deployed a starting lineup of Peyton Watson, Jalen Pickett, Bruce Brown, Spencer Jones, and DaRon Holmes, with Zeke Nnaji, Hunter Tyson, Julian Strawther, and Curtis Jones coming off the bench. The team’s effort represented a 180 after Sunday’s dud, writes Tony Jones of The Athletic, as Denver pulled off a shocking 125-124 upset in overtime.
Pickett, who had played double-digit minutes just 12 times this season entering Monday’s game, led the way by scoring a career-high 29 points on 11-of-20 shooting in 42 minutes. Nnaji (21 points, eight rebounds) and Tyson (14 points) also had their best games of the season. Those performances from reserves represent a very encouraging sign for a team that Adelman says is in “survival mode” with star center Nikola Jokic out, according to Jones.
“The thing is that we don’t want to take too much of a fall in the standings,” general manager Jon Wallace told The Athletic prior to Monday’s victory. “I think we did a good job of giving ourselves a cushion at the beginning of the season, knowing that the unexpected can happen. But, at the same time, we have to face the reality that we might take a slight fall. But I think we have enough guys and enough leaders in that locker room to hold the line, until we get back to full strength.”
Here’s more on the Nuggets:
- The Nuggets are feeling good about Jokic’s recovery from a hyperextended knee and are hopeful that he’ll be back in action by the All-Star break at the latest, team sources tell Jones.
- Braun and Gordon were on “pretty strict” minutes limits when they returned on Sunday, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Braun played 24 minutes in his first game back from a sprained ankle, while Gordon came off the bench and logged 21 minutes after being out since November 21 with a strained hamstring. Restrictions will likely remain in place for a few games as Braun and Gordon work their way back to full strength.
- Jamal Murray missed a game for just the second time this season on Monday, with an injury designation of a left ankle sprain. He has been playing through “mild pain” in that ankle in recent weeks, according to Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. “He’s played limitless minutes. … It’s not just the minutes guys play. It’s what they’re doing in those minutes,” Adelman said. “The responsibility has been crazy. His ankle flared up. Even (Sunday), I thought he fought through it. The fourth quarter, I kept thinking I was gonna get him out, and we kept kind of staying in the game. So if anybody needed (a game off), it was him. Not to mention all the other small injuries for that guy. He’s beat up.”
- After making just two garbage-time appearances in Denver’s first 31 games of the season, Holmes has appeared in each of the past five, making three starts and averaging 18.0 minutes per night. Holmes, a first-round pick in 2024 who missed his entire rookie season due to an Achilles tear, spoke to Spencer Davies of RG.org about finally getting an opportunity to play NBA minutes.
Nuggets’ Gordon, Braun Will Return Sunday; MPJ Active For Nets
1:37 pm: Gordon and Braun will return to action on Sunday, according to DNVR Nuggets (Twitter link).
12:47 pm: The Nuggets could get a pair of starters back for Sunday’s contest at Brooklyn. They’ve listed Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun as questionable for the matchup with the Nets (Twitter link).
Both players are still considered questionable less than two hours away from tip-off, per the NBA’s latest injury report.
Gordon has been out since November 21 after suffering a Grade 2 right hamstring strain. The veteran forward was off to a terrific start to the 2025/26 campaign, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on elite efficiency (.536/.452/.879 shooting splits) while playing strong defense through his first 12 games (30.4 minutes per contest).
Fourth-year wing Braun, meanwhile, has been on the shelf since Nov. 12 due to a sprained left ankle. The former first-round pick averaged 11.9 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 2.9 APG and 0.9 SPG on .484/.214/.778 shooting in 10 healthy games this season (30.8 MPG). He’s another key member of the rotation, particularly on defense, where he’s frequently tasked with slowing down the opposing team’s best perimeter scorer.
Cassidy Hubbarth of NBA on Prime reported a couple days ago that both players could return at some point during Denver’s road trip, which concludes Wednesday in Boston.
As for the Nets, leading scorer Michael Porter Jr. will return to action Sunday after missing the past two games because of an illness, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link). The 27-year-old forward said he’ll have a little extra motivation when he faces his former team, which traded him to Brooklyn over the summer.
“I definitely use everything I can as motivation,” Porter said. “It was just so much noise about me as a player…I knew if it was healthy coming here I’d be able to change the narrative around me.”
Nuggets Notes: Gordon, Braun, Jokic, Holmes, More
NBA on Prime reporter Cassidy Hubbarth gave encouraging injury updates on three Nuggets starters during Friday’s contest at Cleveland, tweets Ryan Blackburn of Mile High Sports.
According to Blackburn, Hubbarth said Aaron Gordon (hamstring) and Christian Braun (ankle) are still experiencing some soreness, but both players could return at some point during the team’s road trip, which ends next Wednesday in Boston. Hubbarth also said the Nuggets have been “pleasantly surprised” by the progress Nikola Jokic has made in his recovery from a left knee injury, Blackburn adds.
Here’s more on the Nuggets, who are very shorthanded at the moment:
- The Nuggets are only carrying 14 players on their standard roster and could theoretically sign a player to a 10-day contract starting Monday. When asked about that possibility prior to Friday’s game, head coach David Adelman said the team would weigh its options but expressed some skepticism about it happening. “Right now, we are who we are,” he said (Twitter link via Bennett Durando of The Denver Post). Durando hears the Nuggets are unlikely to add a player to a 10-day deal, which isn’t surprising — they’re currently about $400K over the luxury tax line and will likely look to move below that threshold ahead of the trade deadline to avoid the repeater tax.
- With four starters and their backup center out, Adelman said the Nuggets would be learning on the fly Friday, tweets Durando. “This will sound crazy, but we’re playing an NBA game in an hour and a half, and that’s our scrimmage to see, like, where we’re at and how we’re gonna play. I can’t put in 19 new offensive things and change our whole defensive scheme,” Adelman said.
- Second-year big man DaRon Holmes II admitted he was gassed after playing 22 minutes in Wednesday’s win at Toronto, the first meaningful action he’s received to this point in his young career, Durando writes for The Denver Post. “He gives up the offensive rebounds. I didn’t see him put his head down. He just kept playing,” Adelman said. “And that’s the key in the NBA. You’re gonna have moments when you get embarrassed or somebody physically owns you, whatever it is. You’ve just gotta go to the next play. Be ready to make the next shot, make the appropriate decision with the ball, take care of it. And he did that.” Holmes, a 2024 first-round pick who missed last season with a torn Achilles tendon, received his first career start Friday.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Holmes, Backup Center, Gordon
The Nuggets will have to find ways to win over the next month without star center Nikola Jokic, who will miss at least the next four weeks with a knee injury. Head coach David Adelman is doing his best to stay positive despite the massive blow the injury represents.
“Silver lining, it’s not season-ending but it was a very concerning moment for us,” Adelman said, per Josh Lewenberg of TSN Sports (Twitter link). “Not just because of the player he is, it’s because I know him… He’s one of the tougher people and players I’ve ever been around.”
Jokic joined the Nuggets in Toronto for tonight’s game, but Bennett Durando of the Denver Post tweets that the decision on whether he’ll stay for the rest of the team’s road trip is up in the air, and will likely be decided by a combination of Jokic, Adelman, executive vice president of player personnel Jon Wallace, and executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer.
When asked about how Jokic is handling one of the most significant injuries in his playing career, Adelman replied (per Lewenberg): “He’s in a good place. He always is never too high and every now and then hilariously low.”
We have more from the Nuggets:
- DaRon Holmes II, who should move up the depth chart during Jokic’s absence, views the time he’s spent with the Nuggets’ G League affiliate as a valuable chance to show the parent team what he’s capable of, according to Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype. “We’re just trying to show what we can do. And hopefully there’s an opportunity because of that. There are times in training camp when young guys like me don’t get viewed a lot because of our age or because of injuries, or youth,” Holmes said. “So hopefully this can showcase our skill set, so our coaches can see and other teams can see as well… just have fun and get my teammates involved and do things that I would do that would translate up top with the Nuggets as well.” Holmes says that he has watched Jokic closely to unlock other parts of his game, such as play-making, cutting, and more.
- With Jokic out and Jonas Valanciunas inserted into the starting lineup, the Nuggets will have to figure out their backup center rotation. “We’ll be creative with it,” Adelman said, per Durando (via Twitter). “We played a little bit of small ball in Miami with [Spencer Jones] — you can say Spence or Peyton [Watson], whatever you want to say. And obviously, we have Zeke (Nnaji). DaRon is with us, so we can go that way as well.” The Nuggets could use Watson in super small-ball lineups surrounded by shooters, Adelman notes, adding that the decision will be made with an eye towards what will help star guard Jamal Murray be the most effective.
- Aaron Gordon has taken minutes at the five in the past, Durando writes, but the history of hamstring and calf injuries that Gordon has dealt with in recent years will prompt the team to be cautious with him. The physical toll of playing major minutes at center after coming off a hamstring injury that has limited him to just 13 games this season could prove too risky, given Gordon’s importance to the team’s outlook in the playoffs.
Nikola Jokic Out At Least Four Weeks With Knee Injury
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic will be reevaluated in four weeks after being diagnosed with a hyperextension of his left knee, the team announced today (Twitter link).
Jokic injured his knee during Monday’s game against Miami. On Tuesday, Đorđe Matić of Meridian Sport, an outlet based in Jokic’s home country of Serbia, reported that the big man had hyperextended his knee but appeared to have avoided a more serious injury. The update from the club confirms as much.
Although the absence projects to be the longest of Jokic’s NBA career, the Nuggets are breathing a sigh of relief, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link), since testing confirmed that the three-time MVP’s knee ligaments are intact.
Still, there’s no guarantee that Jokic will be able to return at the four-week mark when he’s reevaluated. Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints (Twitter link) suggests the 30-year-old could end up missing closer to six weeks.
The Nuggets’ depth will be tested in a major way during that time. The team was already down three starters, with Aaron Gordon (hamstring), Christian Braun (ankle), and Cameron Johnson (knee) all on the shelf. With Jokic now out too, guard Jamal Murray is the only opening-night starter still standing.
Head coach David Adelman said over the weekend that Gordon and Braun have a chance to return during the Nuggets’ current road trip, which runs through January 7 (Twitter link via Katy Winge of Altitude TV). Until then, Murray figures to be joined in the starting five by Peyton Watson, Spencer Jones, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valanciunas.
The Nuggets are off to a 22-10 start this season and are well positioned in the Western Conference postseason picture at the moment, but they don’t have a ton of room for error as they attempt to hang onto a guaranteed (ie. top-six) playoff seed. The No. 6 Timberwolves currently trail Denver by just a game-and-a-half, while the No. 7 Suns are three games back of the Nuggets.
Although Jokic and the Nuggets will be more concerned about their record and their position in the standings, it’s also worth noting that this injury could cost the superstar center his award eligibility this season. In order to meet the 65-game requirement and qualify for end-of-season awards, Jokic can’t miss more than 17 games — Denver will play 18 times between now and the end of January.
If Jokic isn’t award-eligible, his streak of seven consecutive All-NBA appearances would come to an end, as would a stretch of five straight years in the top two in Most Valuable Player voting.
Jokic has been putting up historic numbers so far this season, averaging a career-high 29.6 points per game while leading the NBA with 12.2 rebounds and 11.0 assists per contest. His shooting line is an outrageous .605/.435/.853 and the Nuggets have a +12.3 net rating when he’s on the court, compared to a -6.3 mark when he’s not.
Nuggets Notes: Jokic, Johnson, Gordon, Braun
The Nuggets got a historic performance Thursday from Nikola Jokic to pull out their latest memorable game against the rival Timberwolves, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Jokic posted the first 55-15-15 stat line in NBA history, finishing with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in the overtime victory. Jokic called it a “good game,” but some of his teammates were more effusive.
“We’re watching history. … This is something that doesn’t happen again,” Peyton Watson said. “We will never see anything like this again. And I think everybody needs to be really paying attention. … We can’t continue to just dismiss what this guy does on a night-to-night basis. Bro, it’s unbelievable.”
Jokic shot 15-of-21 from the field and 22-of-23 from the foul line and made several huge plays to salvage a game that featured numerous momentum swings in the closing minutes. Denver squandered a 15-point lead with five minutes left to go in regulation and couldn’t hold onto a six-point advantage in the final 35 seconds as Anthony Edwards forced the extra session with a late three-pointer from the corner. The Wolves scored the first nine points of overtime, but the Nuggets closed the game on a 27-14 run over the final three minutes.
“It sounds crazy, but I didn’t think we were completely out of it, just because the way that game was and the shot-making and the star players doing what they did,” Denver coach David Adelman said. “You just felt like there were more moments to the game, if we could just ourselves back into it.”
There’s more from Denver:
- The Nuggets are relieved that Cameron Johnson‘s knee injury is only a bone bruise with no structural damage, but it still leaves them down three starters, Durando states in a separate story. Johnson is projected to miss at least four-to-six weeks, forcing Adelman to make adjustments to his lineups. “You have an intelligent ‘guesstimation’ of a new rotation to play. I think you have to give it a couple of games. Let’s just say it doesn’t go well today; you can’t just say, ‘OK, well let’s scrap it,’” Adelman said. “So yeah, we’ll just reinvent ourselves as we go here. I’m looking at this as just another chapter in the season, you know what I mean? It’s what it is. I feel for Cam, man. I just felt like his trajectory was just going up. Not the stats; just how he was playing. He was a high-minute guy for us, helping bridge the gap between the starters and the second unit.”
- Aaron Gordon, who has made just one brief appearance since November 17 due to a strained right hamstring, and Christian Braun, who has been sidelined since November 12 with a sprained left ankle, are both making progress toward returning, Durando adds. Adelman watched Thursday as both players went through on-court workouts, but he stated the team will use caution in bringing them back. “It’s one of those things that just because other guys got hurt, you can’t hurry their process,” he said. “So we just have to do what we have to do right now. And I like the group we have. All year long, there’s been no crazy ups and downs emotionally. We’ve just gotta continue to do what we’re doing.”
- Bobby Marks of ESPN examines the Nuggets’ options to deal with their depleted roster. They have been carrying an open roster spot, and Marks notes that they could wait until January 5 to add a player when 10-day contracts begin. Denver also has trade exceptions worth $6.9MM and $5.4MM that could be used in a potential deal. However, the team is short on draft capital, with no first-round picks to trade after sending one to Brooklyn to acquire Johnson and only two second-rounders to deal. The Nuggets are also hovering right around the tax line and may be reluctant to add much salary to their books.
Northwest Notes: Kessler, Hendricks, Hyland, Braun, Gordon, Strawther
Jazz center Walker Kessler indicated to the media that his season-ending left shoulder injury stems back to his college days at Auburn. Kessler only played five games before surgery was required.
“I’ve had a posterior labrum tear on my left shoulder since Auburn. I think the Tennessee game, I tore it and just kind of tried to play through and strengthen it,” Kessler said, per Andy Larsen of the Salt Lake Tribune. “The doctor explained it … there’s no amount of strength that’ll keep it from slipping out again and again. So he told me, ‘You got to have the surgery.'”
If he didn’t address the problem, Kessler could have endured many more issues with the shoulder during his career.
“Another thing is, the more you sublux it, the more risk of injury (there is), of destroying everything around it: you know, the rotator cuff, the anterior labrum, and so that’s why it was necessary,” Kessler explained.
Here’s more from the Northwest Division:
- After suffering a severe leg injury last season, Taylor Hendricks has been in and out of the Jazz rotation and is now getting reps in the G League, Larsen notes. “I think right now, the G League minutes are so important for Taylor, because he needs as many repetitions as he can get at the reactive part of the sport that you just can’t replicate when you miss a year,” coach Will Hardy said. “Getting your body used to making those decisions and reacting and fully trusting your body in those moments is where we’re trying to get to with Taylor.” The 2023 lottery pick has appeared in 13 games with Utah this season.
- Bones Hyland has at least temporarily displaced Rob Dillingham in the Timberwolves rotation, according to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. “We’re 24 games in, and I thought it was time to try something different,” coach Chris Finch said. “(Hyland)’s been patient. He’s been playing really well in practice, doing everything we ask him to do. We need a spark there.” Hyland, who signed a one-year contract during the offseason to return to Minnesota, had 14 points and three assists in 16 minutes against Phoenix on Monday.
- Nuggets coach David Adelman doesn’t expect Christian Braun (ankle) or Aaron Gordon (hamstring) to return to action before Christmas, Vinny Benedetto of the Denver Gazette tweets. Julian Strawther (back) is a little bit further along in his recovery process. He played some half court 3-on-3 after Tuesday’s practice.
Aaron Gordon Out At Least 4-6 Weeks With Hamstring Strain
11:17 am: The Nuggets put out a press release (via Twitter) which confirms Charania’s report.
10:57 am: Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 right hamstring strain and will be reevaluated in four-to-six weeks, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.
Denver will be down two members of its starting lineup for the next several weeks, as guard Christian Braun is expected to be out for at least another month due to a sprained left ankle.
Gordon missed Wednesday’s win over New Orleans with bilateral hamstring injury management before returning to action on Friday at Houston. He was initially listed as probable for the game against the Rockets before being upgraded to available.
Unfortunately, three minutes into the game, he injured his right hamstring.
As Charania notes, Gordon suffered a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during Denver’s second-round playoff series against Oklahoma City. He played through the injury in Game 7, and has now injured his opposite hamstring.
Gordon, who missed extended time last season due to a calf strain, had gotten off to an excellent start this fall. Through 12 healthy games (30.4 minutes per contest), he was averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on elite efficiency (.536/.452/.879 shooting splits) while playing strong defense.
Denver is plus-20.7 per 100 possessions when the 30-year-old is on the court — a fantastic number — and plays exactly even with the opposing team when he’s not.
Head coach David Adelman said Gordon was seeking second opinions on his injured right hamstring after Saturday’s loss to Sacramento, writes Bennett Durando of The Denver Post. Second-year forward Spencer Jones, who is on a two-way deal, started in Gordon’s place against the Kings, but struggled to slow down DeMar DeRozan late in the fourth quarter.
According to Durando, the Nuggets could use more double-big lineups featuring Nikola Jokic and Jonas Valanciunas with Gordon out. The two centers haven’t shared the court much yet in their first season together, and the results have been mixed in a small sample size.
“We are trying to figure it out,” Jokic said. “Sometimes it’s good. Sometimes it’s really bad. I think we need to have more minutes to be there and to play in different positions, different type of players who we’re guarding. But I think we communicate on the floor.”
Aaron Gordon Exits Friday’s Game With Hamstring Strain
Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon dealt with multiple soft tissue injuries in 2024/25, having missed extended time during the regular season with a calf strain and then suffering a Grade 2 left hamstring strain in Denver’s second-round playoff series against Oklahoma City.
Gordon missed Wednesday’s win over New Orleans with hamstring injury management before returning to action on Friday at Houston. Unfortunately, three minutes into the game, he injured his right hamstring.
The Nuggets initially deemed Gordon questionable to return with a right hamstring strain but he was later ruled out for the remainder of Friday’s game vs. the Rockets (Twitter links).
The 30-year-old has gotten off to an excellent start this fall, averaging 20.3 points and 6.3 rebounds on elite efficiency (.536/.452/.879 shooting splits) through 12 games (30.4 minutes per contest) while playing strong defense. Denver is plus-20.4 per 100 possessions when Gordon is on the court and plus-0.8 when he’s not.
While it’s unclear how severe Gordon’s latest hamstring injury is, it wouldn’t be surprising if the Nuggets take a cautious approach to his recovery, given his importance to the team and how early it is in the season. Denver eked out a close victory over Houston on Friday to improve to 12-3 on the season, good for the No. 2 spot in the Western Conference.