Nuggets Provide Major Aaron Gordon Injury Update Ahead of Game 3

It looks like the Denver Nuggets will be without a key piece of their starting lineup in Game 3 vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves.

According to an update from NBA insider Chris Haynes, Gordon has been downgraded from questionable to out for Game 3 due to a calf issue.

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (calf) will not play tonight in Game 3 against the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources tell me.
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) April 23, 2026

Gordon was previously downgraded to questionable the night before the Nuggets would be set to travel to Minnesota for their first road playoff game, and left his status in question in the hours leading up to tip-off.

Now, it seems like his status has turned in the wrong direction, as Gordon will be primed to miss his first game of the series.

Without Gordon, it now leaves the Nuggets without both Gordon and Peyton Watson, and makes for a huge blow to their frontcourt rotation and their defensive versatility from where it usually sits.

What No Aaron Gordon Means for Nuggets

It'll be the first time this series that the Nuggets will be forced to shake up their usual rotation, which has been able to find a bit of a groove since their health has trended in the right direction, and Gordon has been back in the lineup following his lingering hamstring injury.

But throughout the Nuggets' Game 2 meeting against Minnesota, it became clearer as the night went on that Gordon was dealing with some pain, which is nothing short of a devastating wrinkle in Denver's plans considering how critical he is to their success on both ends of the floor.

Apr 18, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) talks with referee Zach Zarba (15) after a play during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images | Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Through his two postseason games thus far, Gordon has averaged 12.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists while shooting 42.1% from the field and 22.2% from three.

While not at his typical form as a two-way Swiss Army knife for Denver, everybody knows how impactful he can be for the Nuggets and their success when at 100%.

But clearly, that doesn't appear to be the case for Thursday night, and now leaves his focus towards getting ready for Game 4 with an extra two days of rest.

Who Could Step Up for Denver in His Place?

In the meantime, the Nuggets will be tasked with patching the void he leaves in the rotation. Bruce Brown or Spencer Jones appear to be the most likely candidates on paper to start in his place, who have both been prominent bench pieces across the two games in the series so far.

Gordon's absence might also leave room for Julian Strawther to get some run down the Nuggets' second unit.

Strawther has been stuck as a DNP for the first two games of Denver's series against the Wolves, but could now have a perfect opportunity to provide an extra spark of wing depth down the rotation in place of the firepower they'll be missing.

Tip-off between the Nuggets and Wolves lands at 7:30 p.m. MT on the road in the Twin Cities, where Denver will now be forced to bounce back from their previous loss without a top impact player in the fold, and leaves a bigger responsibility on the shoulders of both Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray in the process.

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