After the disappointment against the Wizards, the Nuggets needed a knee-jerk reaction. And safe to say they got what they were looking for. Beating the Warriors’ side, who have seemingly looked unstoppable since the Jimmy Butler trade, was a feat to be proud of. But doing that without Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Christian Braun was a much-needed confidence booster. With Aaron Gordon yet to be in peak condition after a lengthy injury break, the Nuggets showed the champions’ instinct that made them successful in 2023. And this win could be the building block they need for a late-season charge to keep their playoff seed secured. However, keeping the seed won’t work if they don’t have fully healthy bodies to fight through the battles ahead. So Gordon shared an update on that to provide a better picture of his health.

Following the 114-105 win over the Warriors, the intrigue was around how the Nuggets pulled that off without Jokic and other starters missing. Without them, the assumption was a loss for Denver with further rotations ahead of the Lakers game. But Aaron Gordon had a different idea. When asked if he felt the need to play at Chase Center, he highlighted his need for fitness. “My body’s starting to come back to me, so it’s the best I felt since before the Milwaukee game. So I just felt like I was ready to play,” Gordon said.

That’s a major boost to the Nuggets at this point of the season. Gordon has missed 29 games in the regular season so far. Even after his return to the team against the Suns on March 8, the 29-year-old missed three more games.

Gordon probably didn’t want to miss the chance to play in front of his friends and family in California, leaving a mark on the game. His 38 points from 14-23 shooting was enough to power the team through on what could be described as a rough night for the Dubs. Proving how the game is as much of a mental affair as it is physical. Gordon’s comments on it made that point clear yet again.

Aaron Gordon explained exactly what changed for him in Nikola Jokic’s absence

The 2-time MVP not playing makes a huge difference. And that’s not only for the Nuggets but also for the opponents. Steve Kerr made it clear after the game that his players were not up for the game mentally. The absence of Jokic, Murray, and Braun made the Warriors put their guard down, and they paid for it.

According to Gordon, his thought process without the Serbian in the team changed drastically. Agreeing to the need to step up, Gordon had only one thing on his mind and that was defense, no matter how absurd it may sound given his offensive explosion. “I wasn’t even thinking about offense really. I was thinking about the defensive and what we need to be doing (on that end),” AG said during the locker room interview. Even Michael Malone praised the shift in mentality for his players. “There’re some guys who would think, ‘Do I really feel like playing tonight?'” Malone said during the post-game media availability. “What you love about Russ, what you love about AG (is their mentality) — ‘All right, well, next man up. There’s more opportunity for me.'”

The Nuggets HC was unable to put a return timetable on Jokic or Murray. With the next game against the Lakers coming up on Wednesday, the Nuggets might have to do just what the Lakers did to their last time out. A depleted LA side pushed the Nuggets to the wire. If the Denver trio misses the game again, Aaron Gordon and Co. would certainly need to channel the same desire to win that separates the contenders from the pretenders.