OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) 鈥� Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, despite having a strained left hamstring.
Denver interim coach David Adelman had said he would be a game-time decision, but the Nuggets upgraded him to available less than an hour before the start.
鈥淗e鈥檚 trying to play," Adelman said during his pregame media session. 鈥淥bviously, he is injured, but he鈥檚 going to go through the process, see if he can give us something. If he can鈥檛 go or if he goes and he can鈥檛 continue, we have plenty of guys that can step up.鈥�
The injury appeared to occur late in Game 6 when Thunder guard Alex Caruso slid under him while scrambling for a loose ball. Gordon limped and massaged the hamstring after the play.
Gordon helped the Nuggets win their only NBA championship in 2023. In this series, he has averaged 14.5 points and 9.2 rebounds while shooting 45% from 3-point range. He , a 121-119 victory that temporarily gave the Nuggets homecourt advantage.
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said the Thunder are prepared either way.
鈥淚t鈥檚 Game 7,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nything can happen. Anybody can step up. We鈥檝e got to be ready for their best punch. We are. We know they鈥檙e going to throw their best punch to start with.鈥�
Gordon played just 51 regular-season games as he dealt with a strained right calf and sprained left ankle.
The winner advances to the Western Conference finals against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
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AP NBA:
Cliff Brunt, The Associated Press
