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Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon out for Game 3 vs. Timberwolves with calf injury
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- Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon out for Game 3 vs. Timberwolves with calf injury
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The Denver Nuggets are in the midst of a dogfight with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the NBA playoffs, with a pivotal Game 3 in the 1-1 series looming on Thursday night. Now, the mountain just got a little steeper for the Nuggets, as starting forward Aaron Gordon is going to miss Game 3 due to left calf tightness , per NBA insider Chris Haynes.
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Gordon has dealt with hamstring and calf injuries for a large part of the last two seasons, so it’s a shame to see it popping up again before such an important game. Denver is already playing without Peyton Watson due to a hamstring injury, so the Nuggets are extremely shorthanded heading into a hostile road environment.
The Nuggets will be kicking themselves for losing Game 2 after taking a 19-point lead in the first half. A win in that game would have given them a 2-0 series lead and a bit more margin for error coming into Game 3. Now, David Adelman and company must figure out how to get a win on the road as Gordon’s status moving forward remains up in the air.
Gordon has become one of the most important players on this Nuggets team, despite not always putting up eye-popping scoring numbers. In just 36 games this season due to injury, Gordon scored 16.2 points per game, including 50 on opening night against the Golden State Warriors .
Without Gordon in the starting lineup, expect Tim Hardaway to get a look as a starter after a stellar Game 2 where he scored 16 points and drilled a trip of 3-pointers. Spencer Jones will also see a lot of action off the bench as a bigger body to guard Julius Randle , and Julian Strawther could see himself thrust into the rotation in a huge game after not playing in the first two games.
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If the Nuggets want to get a little bigger on the front line, Zeke Nnaji is another candidate to see some minutes off the bench. No matter which way Adelman decides to go, it will be very difficult to get a win without Gordon on the court.
Related: Nuggets vs. Timberwolves Game 3 Results According to NBA 2K26
