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[Saba Sports News] The Denver Nuggets extended their season with a Game 6 win on Thursday night — but it may have come at a cost.
Denver defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 119-107 at Ball Arena, forcing a decisive Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City. However, a late-game injury scare involving forward Aaron Gordon has raised concerns ahead of the winner-take-all matchup.
With under two minutes left in regulation, Gordon appeared to injure himself after dribbling the ball off his foot while chasing it down. He came up limping and immediately grabbed at his left hamstring, showing clear signs of discomfort.
Though he stayed in the game briefly, Gordon’s movement was limited. He subbed out with 1:10 left, briefly returned, and exited for good with just over 53 seconds remaining.
After the game, Nuggets interim coach David Adelman admitted the team didn’t yet know the full extent of the issue but said the level of concern was “high.” The silver lining is that Gordon has two full days to recover before Game 7.
The former No. 4 overall pick has been crucial for Denver throughout the playoffs, hitting clutch shots in each of their first two series. However, he’s struggled in the last two games against OKC, posting just 13 points in Game 5 and five in Game 6.
It remains unclear whether Gordon’s hamstring issue is a true injury or simply a cramp. Regardless, he’ll do everything he can to suit up for Sunday. If he’s limited or unavailable, the Nuggets may turn to Peyton Watson and Julian Strawther — the latter of whom stepped up with 15 key points in Thursday’s win.