The Nuggets already had enough on their plate after a brutal Game 2 loss at home to the Timberwolves. Denver appeared to get gassed down the stretch, while the Wolves looked fresher and were coming at them with renewed energy.
With the series headed to Minnesota tied, 1-1, we knew that it was going to be a tall order for the Nuggets to pull out a hugely important Game 3 in a hostile environment, and that task got a lot tougher on Thursday afternoon as Aaron Gordon has been ruled out with a calf injury.
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (calf) will not play tonight in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 23, 2026
This is a bit of a nightmare scenario for the Nuggets, who have been gunning all year to just have a healthy team when the playoffs start. It seemed like things were working out, and they came out firing in Game 1, but things quickly went south in Game 2.
AG looked exhausted down the stretch and far from 100%, and now we see how much his calf was bothering him by the fact that he’ll miss at least one critical playoff game. It’s a brutal blow for Gordon, who has been dealing with a calf issue for years now. They limited him badly in last year’s playoffs, and they forced him to play in just 36 games during the regular season.
Nuggets in big trouble with Gordon
We’ve all seen what a difference it makes when Gordon is in the Nuggets lineup, and without him, they’re in a world of hurt. He’s not only their best defender, but he’s a crucial element of their offense, spacing the floor from the dunker spot and the three-point line, and taking pressure off of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic.
The loss will be even more glaring as the team is missing Peyton Watson, who’s arguably the second-best defender and the closest facsimile to AG on the court. Without those weapons, a lot is going to fall on Christian Braun and Bruce Brown, not only to get stops on the defensive end, but to hit open shots and make some plays on offense.
Bet against Joker and Murray at your own peril, but this is going to take a gargantuan effort. The bigger problem is that even if the Nuggets can steal a game and win this series, they’re going to be facing this AG scare for the rest of the playoffs, and perhaps beyond. This was already going to be an absolute gauntlet to get through the likes of the Wolves, Spurs, and Thunder en route to the Finals. Without Gordon, it feels like a nearly impossible mission. In Jokic we trust!