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.

And this clutch shot against Oklahoma City in Game 1.

“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.