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NBC Sports
17-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Nuggets' Aaron Gordon suffers hamstring strain, availability for Game 7 Sunday in serious doubt
Aaron Gordon, who has been clutch for the Nuggets throughout these playoffs and is a key reason there is a Game 7 for Denver on Sunday in Oklahoma City, will very likely miss that game with a strained hamstring. The strain diagnosis was first reported by ESPN's Shams Charania and has since been confirmed by multiple reports. Gordon appeared to strain his hamstring in the final minutes of the Nuggets' Game 6 win on Thursday, rubbing it and moving slowly on the court, then he checked himself out of the game in the final minute. After the game Gordon said he would be okay, however, coach David Adelman was concerned about his status. As has been discussed with Stephen Curry and his hamstring strain, that is an injury that usually takes around 10 days to heal. Gordon has averaged 16.8 points and 7.3 rebounds a game while playing clutch defense in these playoffs. More than that, he hit this clutch shot against the Clippers. AARON GORDON DUNK AT THE BUZZER FOR THE NUGGETS WIN!!! 🚨🚨 ONE OF THE CRAZIER ENDINGS YOU'LL SEE 🤯😱#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness And this clutch shot against Oklahoma City in Game 1. AARON GORDON 3 FOR THE WIN!!!@nuggets take Game 1 in a THRILLER 🤯 'There's certain people in our league I would define as championship pieces, I think we say that too much, he is one those people, he is a definition of that and he always has been since he got to us,' Adelman said of Gordon earlier this postseason. That's the kind of player the Nuggets need to step up on Sunday, but Denver will have to go without him.
NBC Sports
27-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
2025 NBA Playoffs results, highlights, recap April 26 including Aaron Gordon's dunk saving Nuggets
INGLEWOOD, Calif — It was a wild Saturday across the NBA, but the two biggest games of the day were in California. NUGGETS 101, LA CLIPPERS 99 (series tied 2-2) Denver would have lost if this game had gone to overtime. Their starters had all played at least 42 minutes of regulation basketball, and you could see how tired they were, particularly in their suddenly slow (and sometimes non-existent) defensive rotations. The Clippers had the momentum. However, the Nuggets had Aaron Gordon saving the game — and perhaps their season. AARON GORDON DUNK AT THE BUZZER FOR THE NUGGETS WIN!!! 🚨🚨 ONE OF THE CRAZIER ENDINGS YOU'LL SEE 🤯😱#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness That theme about depth — the Clippers have it, the Nuggets do not — is going to be a main one the rest of this series. In Game 4, the Clippers' bench played 59:45 minutes, more than double the Nuggets' 25:33 (to be fair, the Nuggets were without Russell Westbrook due to an ankle injury). The Clippers' closing lineup featured a bench player (Bogdan Bogdanovic in for Kris Dunn). All of that is why the Clippers were the fresher team down the stretch. That matters, but the Clippers need better production from their bench and role players, or it won't matter. Dunn, Nicolas Batum and Derrick Jones Jr. shot 2-of-13 from 3 in Game 4. The Nuggets are just ignoring Dunn when the Clippers have the ball — doubling off him and daring him to shoot — and if he and the rest of the Clippers' bench/role players can't make the Nuggets pay, then Denver will get the win. It's cliche to say Game 5 Wednesday is huge, but for the Nuggets it is especially so: This series goes to every other day starting with that game Tuesday, which means less time to recover for the Nuggets starters. It will wear them down even more. They can't go down 3-2 and expect to come back against the deeper team. WARRIORS 104, ROCKETS 93 (Golden State leads series 2-1) Stephen Curry was mesmerizing, doing Stephen Curry things in the Warriors' win. STEPH PUTS ON A SHOW IN THE BAY 💯🙌 🏀 36 PTS 🏀 9 AST 🏀 7 REB 🏀 5 3PM 🏀 2 BLK@warriors take a 2-1 series lead! That, however, is not the big takeaway from this game or why the Rockets are really in trouble. It's that they can't score in the halfcourt. It was a concern coming into the playoffs, when the games tend to slow down. During the regular season, the Rockets ranked 22nd in the league in halfcourt offensive rating, positioned between Utah and Philadelphia (stats via Cleaning the Glass). In the playoffs, they have been worse — and on Saturday night they had an 81 offensive rating in the halfcourt. And that against a Warriors team without Jimmy Butler, who was out with a pelvic contusion (he may well return for Game 4). Credit to Rockets GM Rafael Stone and ownership management, they were patient at the February trade deadline and didn't make a rash move — get this core to the playoffs, see what happens, then adjust. The adjustment is becoming clear: The Rockets need a high-level offensive creator and bucket getter to spark them in the half court, a player who fits with the timeline of their young core (so not Kevin Durant, who will be 37 next season). Jalen Green filled that role for a night scoring 38 in Game 2, but the Warriors loaded up the defense on him in Game 3 and things fell apart. Alperen Sengun is a high-level passing and scoring big man, but he's not a creator in the way the Rockets need. Amen Thompson might develop into that guy, but he's not there yet. Which player the Rockets chase is a matter of speculation, but the Rockets have the picks and young players to put together an enticing trade package for whichever team is selling. Expect an aggressive Rockets front office this summer. For now, Houston needs to come out with some real desperation and win Game 4 on the road, or this series is all but over. THUNDER 117, GRIZZLIES 115 (OKC sweeps series 4-0) Give the shorthanded Grizzlies (no Ja Morant) credit for putting up a fight. However, that does not change the big end-of-season question: Where does Memphis go from here? We know where Oklahoma City goes, it has looked dominant in dispatching the Grizzlies in a sweep and now awaits the winner of the Clippers/Nuggets bloodbath. OKC appears on a path to the NBA Finals. Memphis' path forward is shrouded in mist. It is largely locked into the core of Ja Morant (three more seasons on his max contract), Desmond Bane (four more years) and Jaren Jackson Jr. (extension eligible this offseason and the one player the Grizzlies do not want to walk). Should Memphis take a swing at a big-time trade? (Don't say Kevin Durant, he does not want to go there.) Or, should it work around the edges and try to add shooting, athleticism and depth around the Morant/Jackson/Bane core and continue to ride this out to the end of the line? While some fans might suggest trading Ja Morant, the market for his services would not be very strong (unless the Grizzlies want to talk swapping one flawed player for another, such as Trae Young or LaMelo Ball), and the offers in return would be lowball. However, it's something to consider. Also, who is coaching this team next season? CAVALIERS 124, HEAT 87 (Cleveland leads series 3-0) No Darius Garland for Cleveland, he aggravated a big toe injury that sidelined him a couple of games at the end of the season. It was evident how much the Cavaliers missed him at the very start of the game when the Heat raced out to a lead, although part of that was shooting variance (Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware hit some open 3s, while the Cavs started 0-of-5 from beyond the arc). Things normalized soon after, the Cavaliers were up by 13 after one quarter and from there cruised to a win. There is another game, maybe two, to play, but this series is over. The Cavaliers would love to end it in four, get Garland (and everyone else) more rest, and wait for the winner of the Bucks/Pacers series. Miami faces some hard questions heading into this offseason. With all due respect to the step forward Tyler Herro took this season, the Heat need another high-level offensive creator to make this all work, and you can expect them to be aggressive going after one. This is not a franchise that looks to tear things down and rebuild.
The 42
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Thunder sweep past Grizzlies in NBA playoffs, Cavs on brink
THE OKLAMHOMA CITY Thunder, fuelled by 38 points from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, held off the Memphis Grizzlies 117-115 on Saturday to complete a 4-0 sweep in their NBA Western Conference playoff series and become the first team to reach the second round. The Cleveland Cavaliers were on the brink of advancing, taking a 3-0 stranglehold on their Eastern Conference series with a 124-87 blowout of the Miami Heat. And the Denver Nuggets levelled their Western Conference series with a stunning 101-99 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers sealed by Aaron Gordon's put-back dunk at the final buzzer. AARON GORDON DUNK AT THE BUZZER FOR THE NUGGETS WIN!!! 🚨🚨 ONE OF THE CRAZIER ENDINGS YOU'LL SEE 🤯😱#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness — NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2025 Jalen Williams added 23 points for the Thunder, who were pushed to the wire in Memphis despite the absence of Grizzlies star Ja Morant, who was ruled out with a hip contusion suffered in game three. Scotty Pippen Jr scored 30 points and Santi Aldama and Desmond Bane had 23 points each for the Grizzlies, who trailed by 12 with 3:37 to play but closed within two in the waning seconds only to come up short. After the first three games featured a total of four lead changes, the teams traded the lead 15 times in the first three quarters. Oklahoma City took the first double-digit lead of the game with less than six minutes remaining and, without Morant, Memphis just didn't have enough to extend the best-of-seven series. Gilgeous-Alexander had struggled offensively by his standards in the first three games of the series. Advertisement But he looked like the player who won the regular-season scoring title as he connected on 13 of 24 shots from the field, setting an early tone with 16 points in the first quarter. 'I didn't think he played any different,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'I just think he got into a groove.' The Thunder, who led the league with 68 regular-season wins, next face either the Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers, who were tied at 2-2 after the Nuggets' sensational victory in Los Angeles. Three-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 36 points with 21 rebounds and eight assists for the Nuggets, who led by 22 early in the fourth quarter. The Clippers, led by 24 points from Kawhi Leonard and 22 from Norman Powell, surged back to take their first lead of the game, 97-96, on Bogdan Bogdanovic's reverse layup with 1:11 to play. Jokic spun through traffic for a basket that put Denver back on top, but Ivica Zubac tipped in a basket to tie it at 99-99. With little more than a second remaining Jokic unleashed a high-arching three-point attempt that missed, Gordon nabbing the rebound and thrusting the ball in the hoop for a game winner that required an agonizingly lengthy video review before officials confirmed he had, indeed, beaten the buzzer. 'That's a crazy game, man, crazy game,' Gordon said. Cavs pummel Heat In Miami, the Cavs handed the Heat the worst playoff defeat in franchise history, despite the absence of All-Star guard Darius Garland and a relatively quiet 13-point game from Donovan Mitchell. Jarrett Allen scored 22 points and De'Andre Hunter added 21 off the bench as six Cavs players scored in double figures. The Heat, well aware that no NBA team has rallied from 3-0 down to win a playoff series, got off to a fast start and led by nine midway through the first quarter. But the Cavs were up by 13 by the end of the first quarter, their lead never dipping below double digits the rest of the way. 'We took the first punch and from there we just took the game over,' said newly minted Defensive Player of the Year Evan Mobley, who chipped in 19 points. Bam Adebayo scored 22 points to lead the Heat, but the 37-point margin of defeat surpassed the Heats previous worst post-season loss, a 36-point defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in game three of the 2013 NBA Finals — when the Heat went on to win the title. In San Francisco, Stephen Curry shook off a slow start to score 36 points with seven rebounds and nine assists as Golden State pulled away late for a 104-93 victory over the Houston Rockets that put the Warriors up 2-1 in their series. The Rockets had a one-point lead with less than six minutes remaining in the bruising back-and-forth battle that featured 18 lead changes. Gary Payton II then scored four straight baskets for the Warriors and fed Curry for a three-pointer that gave the Warriors a 95-86 lead. The hard-fought victory came without star forward Jimmy Butler, who suffered a pelvic contusion in a hard fall in game two. – © AFP 2025
NBC Sports
27-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Aaron Gordon's buzzer-beating putback dunk saves Nuggets, ties series with Clippers 2-2
INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Nikola Jokic had the ball in his hands with the chance to even up the series against the Clippers: Eight seconds left, score tied 99-99, and he was isolated on Ivica Zubac. Jokic spun for position, put up a shot, and admitted his thought as he released the ball was, 'This is going to be bad.' Then Aaron Gordon came flying in. AARON GORDON DUNK AT THE BUZZER FOR THE NUGGETS WIN!!! 🚨🚨 ONE OF THE CRAZIER ENDINGS YOU'LL SEE 🤯😱#TissotBuzzerBeater#YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness Gordon tried to sprint off the court as he was mobbed by his teammates, then everyone stood around for a couple of minutes while the review was conducted. Eventually, referee Zach Zarba said it counted. What had been on the cusp of being a disastrous loss for the Nuggets — blowing a 22-point fourth quarter lead and going down 3-1 in the series — became the most dramatic win of these playoffs, in what has been the best series of the postseason. The Nuggets escaped with the win and tied the series 2-2 heading back to Denver on Wednesday night. It looked like a game Denver was going to win comfortably for at least 42 minutes on Saturday night, they came out playing with the desperation of a championship team with its back against the wall. 'I hate that stupid word of physicality, but they were more aggressive to start the game,' Clippers coach Tyronn Lue said. 'I thought they picked their pressure up defensively, it kind of sped us up.' Nuggets defenders Christian Braun and Gordon started picking up James Harden and Kawhi Leonard out much higher on the court. In the face of that, Harden was relatively quiet much of the night (he finished with 15 points and 11 assists). It put pressure on the Clippers' role players to step up and hit shots, but unlike Game 3, that did not happen: Kris Dunn, Nicolas Batum, and Derrick Jones Jr. combined to shoot 1-of-13 from 3-point range. Denver never pulled away in the first half, but they led most of it. Los Angeles grew frustrated, emotions built up, and then just before halftime — when Braun fouled Harden— everything bubbled over. Harden turned and got in Braun's face. Then Jokic, Gordon and Ivica Zubac all got in the mix. There was a mini-fracas, but referee Zach Zarba handled it well: Six offsetting technicals (Harden, Zubac, Norman Powell, Braun, Jokic and Gordon) so no free throws. Just play on. Harden didn't like being defended by Braun who didn't give a crap, then Gordon comes in and Harden takes a shot at him, Gordon then goes after Harden and has to be restrained For three quarters this looked like another classic Jokic game, as the three-time MVP dominated, particularly in the third quarter, when he scored or assisted on 26 of Denver's 35 points and the Nuggets got the lead above 20. Jokic finished the night with 36 points and 21 rebounds. 'Throughout the game, and he did a great job finding the soft spots in their defense,' Nuggets coach David Adelman said of Jokic. JOKER BEING JOKER 🃏 36 PTS 🃏 21 REB 🃏 8 AST Jokić is now 1 of 4 players in NBA history to tally 35/20/8 in a playoff game 🤯 Los Angeles trailed by 22 in the fourth but a combination of an offense-heavy lineup from Lue (leaning on Bogdan Bogdanovic), a zone defense from Los Angeles that threw Denver off, and the tired legs of the Nuggets' starters — every one of them played at least 42 minutes — opened the door for a dramatic comeback. Denver just looked exhausted. A James Harden driving layup tied the game with eight seconds left. The Nuggets had one more shot and everyone in the building knew where it was going to go, including Gordon. That putback saved the Nuggets' season — in this tight a series, they were not coming back from 3-1 down. Now, it's just a best-of-three that feels like a toss-up. "[It's] 2-2. They're great team, won a championship a couple years ago, they're not going to give in, we got to beat them, and that's okay,' Lue said.
News18
27-04-2025
- Sport
- News18
Aaron Gordon's Buzzer-Beater Slam Dunk Kills Off LA Clippers In Game 4; Nuggets Level Series 2-2
Last Updated: Video review confirmed the ball left Gordon's hands above the rim just before the buzzer sounded after the Nuggets had blown a 22-point lead. Aaron Gordon slammed down Nikola Jokic's miss as time expired to lift the Denver Nuggets over the Los Angeles Clippers 101-99 on Saturday to tie their playoff series 2-2. Video review confirmed the ball left Gordon's hands above the rim just before the buzzer sounded after the Nuggets had blown a 22-point lead. AARON GORDON DUNK AT THE BUZZER FOR THE NUGGETS WIN!!! 🚨🚨ONE OF THE CRAZIER ENDINGS YOU'LL SEE 🤯😱 #TissotBuzzerBeater #YourTimeDefinesYourGreatness — NBA (@NBA) April 27, 2025 Jokic had 36 points, 21 rebounds and eight assists to lead the Nuggets. Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Braun had 17 points apiece. Kawhi Leonard scored 24 points for the Clippers. Norman Powell added 22 and Ivica Zubac had 19 points, 12 rebounds and six assists. The Nuggets split their two games at the new Intuit Dome. Game 5 is Monday in Denver. A skirmish between the teams near the end of the first half resulted in six technical fouls, including on Jokic. The Clippers led for the first time in the game at 97-96 on Bogdan Bogdanovic's offensive rebound and basket with 1:11 remaining. Jokic's free throw and basket put Denver back in front, 99-97, before Zubac tied it. Jokic's 3-point attempt from the right side soared long over the basket, but Gordon sprang for the rebound with James Harden on his back and slammed it down. The teams were left in suspense while the referees reviewed the play. The Nuggets outscored the Clippers 35-19 in the third to lead 85-65. Leonard, Harden and Powell sparked the Clippers in the fourth, when they outscored Denver 34-16. Jokic was one of three Nuggets, along with Gordon and Braun, to receive technicals for the mid-court melee with 6.6 seconds left. Harden, Powell and Kris Dunn of the Clippers got offsetting fouls after the referees decided no closed fist punches were thrown. The confrontation riled up Clippers fans, who chanted, 'Throw him out!" at Gordon, but it didn't do much for the home team. Los Angeles struggled offensively, shooting 39 of 88 and just 10 of 30 from 3-point range while trailing most of the entire game. The Nuggets led by two at halftime before breaking the game open in the third. They outscored the Clippers 35-17 to go into the fourth ahead 85-65. Jokic had 14 points and the Nuggets hit five 3-pointers to one for the Clippers. Denver's Russell Westbrook sat out with left foot inflammation. First Published:
