The Nuggets, despite firing their head coach and GM shortly before the end of the season and enduring a long first-round series, haven’t stopped fighting in the 2025 NBA playoffs.
Denver took down Oklahoma City in Game 6 of the teams’ second-round series to force a Game 7 against the NBA’s best regular-season squad. While the usual stars like Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have been excellent, the Nuggets have also gotten some star-like performances from Aaron Gordon during their playoff run.
Denver might have to compete in Game 7 with a Western Conference Finals berth on the line without one of its best players, though, as Gordon is dealing with an injury that has his status up in the air for the win-or-go-home game.
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Here’s the latest on Gordon’s injury and whether or not he’ll play against the Thunder in Game 7.
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Aaron Gordon injury update
One day ahead of Sunday’s Game 7, Nuggets head coach David Adelman called Gordon a game-time decision, saying, “If Aaron can play, he will play.”
Gordon exited Game 6 against the Thunder on Thursday late in the fourth quarter. With a loose ball on the floor, Gordon chased after it, then began grabbing at his leg. The Nuggets went on to claim a 119-107 victory.
This is the play that Aaron Gordon appeared to injury his left hamstring
-Major concern heading into Game 7 pic.twitter.com/qsRuLXF1mq
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) May 16, 2025
The concern about Gordon’s exit became more official Friday when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that he had been diagnosed with a left hamstring strain, which put his status “in doubt” for Game 7 of the series. Steph Curry was diagnosed with a hamstring strain after Game 1 of the Warriors-Wolves series, and he missed the next four games.
With Game 7 on Sunday afternoon, Gordon will have two full days to recover, but if the Nuggets forward isn’t ready to go, the team will have to hope for bigger games from players like Jokic, Murray, and Michael Porter Jr., among others.
Peyton Watson would likely start in place of Gordon if he’s unable to suit up.
Aaron Gordon playoff stats
If he can’t play in Game 7, Gordon’s absence would leave the Nuggets in need of athleticism, inside scoring, rebounding and defense. He’s done a little bit of everything for Denver in its playoff run, including a game-winning dunk and 3-pointer in two of the team’s victories.
Here’s a look at Gordon’s playoff stats through 13 games:
| MIN | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FG% | 3P% | FT% |
| 38.2 | 16.8 | 7.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 48.5% | 38.2% | 85.1% |
