Forward Aaron Gordon sustained lacerations to his face and hand after being bitten by a dog on Dec. 25, the Nuggets announced (link via Harrison Wind of DNVR Sports). Gordon is in “good condition” but will remain away from the team as he recovers from his injuries, per the release.
The incident must have occurred on Monday evening, as Gordon helped Denver defeat Golden State that afternoon. He had a strong outing, recording 16 points (on 7-of-10 shooting), 10 rebounds and three assists in 32 minutes.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic (link), Gordon suffered “serious dog bites” to his face and right shooting hand and received 21 stitches. It’s unclear how long Denver’s starting power forward will be sidelined, with Charania saying “it will take some time to heal.”
Obviously, it’s an unfortunate set of circumstances, and hopefully Gordon will recovery quickly from his injuries. The 28-year-old is in the midst of another solid season for the defending champions, averaging 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.0 steal in 28 games (32.0 minutes).
Gordon, who is earning $22.3M this season, is under contract through 2025-26, including a $23.8M player option for that final season. He played a major role in helping the Nuggets win their first title in ’22-23.
With Gordon out, Christian Braun, Peyton Watson and Justin Holiday are all candidates to receive more playing time, with Michael Porter Jr. likely to slide up to power forward — that’s what happened when Gordon missed four games earlier this season with a heel injury.
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