The Nuggets might be in trouble! They have been on fire recently as they sit comfortably in the fifth spot of the West standings after winning their last two games. However, those wins came against two low-ranked teams, the Pistons and the Jazz. But as they prepare to face the sixth-seeded Hawks tonight, their chances of winning look bleak after Michael Malone’s concerning update about high flyer Aaron Gordon.

Well, Gordon has been out for the last three games. The reason? A right calf strain he suffered during last week’s Suns clash. Turns out, he will miss at least the next couple of games due to the injury. That puts him out for tonight and likely through this weekend as the Nuggets begin their back-to-back encounters against the Spurs on Friday. Moreover, Malone revealed that there was no timetable for his return yet.

Sure enough, the Nuggets are extremely cautious because it’s a soft tissue injury and they do not want to risk worsening Gordon’s situation. Obviously, AG’s absence will be a massive blow to the team because he has been in solid form so far, averaging 13.7 points and nearly six rebounds. His impact was evident during the Nuggets’ championship run last year where Aaron Gordon averaged 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds in the playoffs.

Even Malone had high praise for the star forward after seeing his effort in the NBA Finals, “I think Aaron Gordon is a prime example of somebody who’s truly selfless. He does a lot of the dirty work for us. And a lot of times he doesn’t get the credit that he deserves.” Surely, the team will be hoping for his speedy recovery so that he can help them win once again.

Meanwhile, the Nuggets have faith in Russell Westbrook to make up for Gordon’s absence.

Michael Malone ready to “Go to War” with Russell Westbrook amid Aaron Gordon’s injury

With Aaron out for the last three games, Malone has promoted Westbrook to the starting lineup. And the veteran guard has done a great job of helping his team win two of the last three games. Russ even created history on Monday by tallying his career’s 201 triple-double with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Moreover, in the ten games Russ has started, the Nuggets have won eight of those encounters. Sure enough, he seems like the perfect piece in the starting lineup, at least, until Gordon returns.

And the head coach had high praise for Russ after Monday’s win, “This is a guy who’s a first-ballot Hall of Famer, one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game.”

He also highlighted the superstar’s selfless nature, “What I admire so much about him, aside from the leadership and toughness that he brings every single day, is he’s got no ego. He said, ‘I’m playing with that guy. I’m going to play through him. I’m going to make him better. And if I do that, that means I’m doing my job to help this team win.’”

Obviously, Mike has faith in Westbrook to get the job done, “He came here for one reason, and that’s to help us win a championship. And he hates to lose. That’s what also I love about him. He’s built the right way, and I’ll go to war with Russell Westbrook any day.”

Surely, the Nuggets will need a similar performance from Russ tonight as they face the Hawks, who have won their last four games. Do you think the Nuggets can snap their winning streak despite Aaron Gordon’s absence?