
USA Today via Reuters
Jun 7, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and forward Aaron Gordon (50) react as they leave the game against the Phoenix Suns in the fourth quarter during game one in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

USA Today via Reuters
Jun 7, 2021; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) and forward Aaron Gordon (50) react as they leave the game against the Phoenix Suns in the fourth quarter during game one in the second round of the 2021 NBA Playoffs at Phoenix Suns Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Aaron Gordon doubled down the Denver Nuggets‘ embarrassment tonight at the Mile-High City. The Minnesota Timberwolves are once again on track to breach the Ball Arena in back-to-back games with a humungous lead in the third quarter. Amid these testing times, the defending champions’ star forward put the team in further trouble with a heated moment during the break.
During a timeout around the fifth-minute mark in the third quarter, security restricted Aaron Gordon from entering the floor. The 28-year-old seemed to have had an animated chat with the ref during the timeout. In return, he received a technical foul and luckily, Mike Conley Jr. missed the technical foul free throw. Gordon didn’t enter the game after the timeout.
Something just happened at half court during the cheerleaders routine. Aaron Gordon held back by security as the refs blow their whistles at him.
— Jake Shapiro (@Shapalicious) May 7, 2024
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While the Nuggets may have taken advantage of the free throw, the Wolves took the game away in the third quarter, expanding the lead to 32 points. Aaron Gordon sat out the entire quarter and returned to the fourth quarter. By then, it was too late for the defending champions to save the game. Meanwhile, Gordon emerged as the only promising player in the Nuggets lineup tonight despite the mishap with the referee.
He dropped 20 points with a 3-5 FG from the perimeter while their top 2 scorers of the season struggled. The Serbian center, who was expected to make use of his size was tied down by the Wolves defenders. Nikola Jokić could only drop 16 points with 16 rebounds with a poor 5-13 FG. Similarly, Jamal Murray, who is struggling with a left calf strain, also had a night to forget. He registered only 8 with a 3-18 FG, leaving the Nuggets’ offense hanging in thin air.
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Meanwhile, on the other end, Anthony Edwards produced yet another masterclass dropping 27 points with 7 assists to lead the side to a blowout 106-80 win and 2-0 up in the series.
Aaron Gordon almost gave in during the first quarter
Gordon received his technical foul in the third quarter, but he could have faced similar trouble in the first quarter. Minutes into the game, The Nuggets coach Michael Malone engaged in a heated debate with the ref over a physical play. The 52-year-old almost hit the ref if not for his teammates. While the rest of the players tried to separate Malone from the ref, Aaron Gordon also got heated with the ref.
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Luckily, the ref let that slip without taking any action against the duo. Or else, the 20 valuable points that Gordon produced might have gone through the back door. However, the 28-year-old forward had a breakout performance after a series of disappointing runs. In the last three games, he couldn’t score beyond 9 points, averaging 7.6 points per game.
Tonight, he stepped up to the side when both superstars struggled to fetch buckets. Moreover, the team will need his efforts to go further in the series. Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns have a great size advantage over the Nuggets, and Gordon should bring his aggression into play to support the Joker. Will the Nuggets produce a comeback win on the road? Let us know in the comments.
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