Nuggets Shock Thunder: Aaron Gordon plays hero again while Denver's investment continues to bear fruit
At this stage, the Nuggets of Denver acquire Aaron Gordon must be up there with the largest non-subperstar trades lately, if not all, Nba history. The adjustment was extraordinary from the start while Gordon, with Nikola Jokić as a quarter, unlocked the best version of basketball imaginable.
On Monday, Denver's investment dividends continued to compose when Gordon sank the 3 winner of the game with less than three seconds to play while the Nuggets amazed the upper Thunder, 121-119. Denver closed on a 19-6 race after following 11 with less than five minutes to play,
It is the second game winner that Gordon converted into these qualifying series. The first, as most of you probably remember it, came in match 4 of the first round series of Denver against the Clippers – when Gordon summoned his Lorenzo Charles Interior by soaking an Airball at home, as if it were a pre -Planified alley (which was certainly not), because time was expired.
It goes without saying to what extent these two games were monstrous for the Nuggets. If Gordon does not finish this dunk against the Clippers, who led the 2-1 series at the time, this match went extensive and who knows what is going on. Instead, the Nuggets bind the 2-2 series and won it in seven.
Monday, stealing match 1 and the advantage of the field at home in the series, in Oklahoma City might have been even larger. Historically, the winner of the match 1 in a series at the best of the seven years continues to win the series more than 77% of the time.
He was not only the winner of the game either. Gordon was fantastic all night, ending with 22 points and 14 rebounds, including seven offensive, which is a huge statistics for the Nuggets to at least keep a decent rhythm with the Thunder in the possession game with all the Okc reversals generates (18 in match 1).
“Aaron Gordon will be a hero again,” said Nuggets coach David Adelman. “It's a Denver Nugget, guy. He is the soul of our team. So cool to see him have two [game-winning] moments that no one will never forget. “”
It could be a little exaggerated, calling Gordon the soul of a team that has the best basketball player in the world on its list. But the general point is true: Gordon embodies the Mantra We-Over-Me de Denver. He could have spent his career to be an outdated star to chase the checks of his game could not quite in cash, but in Denver, he is the too good puzzle piece which corresponds to four different ways.
Some nights Gordon cuts and bounces. Another, it is hot of 3. He defends. He runs the ground. His spatial and anticipated chemistry with Jokić borders on Divine. If Gordon never comes to Denver, they do not win the first championship in the history of the franchise in 2023, and they are not up 1-0 on the Thunder in 2025, if they are even able to play in the second round in the first place. Gordon is such a talented athlete that he would be good anywhere, but in Denver, compared to his role, he is really great. Maybe even close to Perfect. We saw it on Monday evening.
