By: Justin Gincauskas
Aaron Gordon suffered lacerations to his face and shooting hand from a dog bite on Christmas, the team announced Wednesday. The Denver Nuggets say that Gordon is in good condition and will be away from the team as he recovers.
The lacerations to Gordon’s face and right hand required 21 stitches, sources told Shams Charania of The Athletic. There is currently no timetable for his return, but with how serious the bites were, it will take some time to heal. Sources told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski that the team is optimistic that Gordon’s absence will be “short-term.”
Nuggets head coach Michael Malone spoke after practice Wednesday to discuss Gordon’s injury.
“He’s hanging in there,” Malone said. “Obviously, a very traumatic experience and the most important thing I told him is that you take as much time as you need.”
“We have his back. We love him. We’re here for him,” Malone continued. “So, whenever he’s able to come back, we’re going to open our arms up and embrace him. I told all the guys to make sure they’re reaching out to him, to make sure he’s never feeling like he’s on an island.”
In 28 games this season, Aaron Gordon is averaging 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. He had 16 points and 10 rebounds in Denver’s 120-114 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Christmas Day. Gordon has scored in double figures in nine straight games before the injury.
Denver is the third seed in the Western Conference. They have a record of 22-10 and are currently on a five-game winning streak. The Nuggets are 12-2 at home this season and are 8-2 in their last 10 games.
Denver will play its first game without Gordon when the team takes on the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night. The Grizzlies are riding a four-game winning streak since the return of Ja Morant.
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