Denver Nuggets Star Aaron Gordon’s 50 Points Not Enough Against the Golden State Warriors

Gordon’s performance wasn’t just good. It was historically efficient. His true shooting percentage of 105.8 marks the most efficient 50-point game in NBA history. Read that again. The. Most. Efficient. Ever.

The 12-year veteran looked like he was playing NBA 2K on rookie difficulty. Spot-ups? Money. Pull-ups? Cash. Contested threes? Didn’t matter. The rim might as well have been the size of a swimming pool for Gordon, who joined an exclusive club of just six players to score 50-plus in a season opener—alongside Michael Jordan, Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis, Elgin Baylor, and Wilt Chamberlain.

“The DJ was playing slaps,” Gordon said after the game with a grin, despite the loss. “So I’m vibing the whole game. He’s playing just the straight Bay that I grew up with. Just like hyphy music. So I was just out getting hyphy.” Nothing like some Bay Area nostalgia to fuel a career night.

The Transformation Nobody Saw Coming

Here’s what makes Gordon’s eruption even more remarkable: two seasons ago, he was shooting just 29% from beyond the arc. Twenty-nine percent. He was the definition of a non-shooter, valuable for his defense, cutting ability, and basketball IQ—but definitely not someone you’d design plays around for outside shooting.

Then something clicked.

Last season, Gordon jumped to a staggering 43.6% from three-point range across 51 games. That kind of leap doesn’t happen by accident. It is the result of countless hours in the gym, shooting 15 minutes before practice, 15 minutes after, and having the mental fortitude to keep launching in games despite inevitable misses.

“You shoot 15 minutes before practice. You shoot 15 minutes after practice, and then you have, like, the resolve to shoot it in the game and work on what you practice over and over and over,” Gordon said. “Not worry about the misses and shoot the right ones, and you’re inevitably going to get better.”

David Adelman, who transitioned from longtime Nuggets assistant to head coach at season’s end, has witnessed the evolution firsthand. “There’s a calmness to his shot. I think it’s really noticeable,” Adelman said. “A guy with that kind of size and that ability to blow by you and dunk the ball, you’re gonna take your time closing out to him, so he can take his time to shoot the ball.”

The Curry Factor

Of course, this being the NBA, one player’s historic night can be completely overshadowed by another’s clutch brilliance. Enter Curry, who poured in 40 points of his own and basically refused to let the Warriors lose.

With 21.9 seconds left in regulation and the Nuggets up three thanks to Gordon’s 10th three-pointer of the night, Curry did what Curry does—he pulled up from deep and tied the game, forcing overtime. Then, in the extra period, he scored 16 consecutive Warriors points between the end of regulation and the start of OT, eventually putting the game on ice with his signature “Night, night” celebration. It was the basketball equivalent of showing up to your friend’s surprise party and accidentally becoming the center of attention yourself.

What This Means For Denver

The silver lining for Denver? If Gordon can sustain even a fraction of this shooting prowess, the Nuggets’ already potent offense becomes downright terrifying. They’ve added Cameron Johnson, Bruce Brown, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Jonas Valančiūnas this offseason, creating a roster many believe can challenge the Oklahoma City Thunder for Western Conference supremacy.

Nikola Jokić posted his usual triple-double (21 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists), and Jamal Murray added 25 points and 10 assists. With Gordon emerging as a legitimate three-level scoring threat, opposing defenses face an impossible puzzle: pick your poison.

Draymond Green, who’s known Gordon since his youth, understands the implications. “Obviously, Jokić is who he is; obviously, Jamal is who he is. But he’s been that steady force outside of those two guys for this group,” Green said. “That’s the reason they are champions and continue to be one of the better teams in this league.”

The Emotional Aftermath

Perhaps the most telling moment came after the final buzzer when team officials asked Gordon if he wanted the game ball. His response? A firm no. “It sucks,” he said with a slight scowl. “They’re asking if I wanted the game ball. No, I don’t want the game ball. Take the L home with me. No thank you.”

That is the mentality of a champion—someone who understands that individual accolades mean nothing without team success. Gordon’s 50-point masterpiece will be remembered as one of the best losing efforts in recent NBA history, but for the player himself, it’s just fuel for what comes next.

The Warriors are 2-0. The Nuggets are 0-1. And somewhere, Aaron Gordon is already back in the gym, shooting 15 minutes before practice, 15 minutes after, preparing for the next opportunity to prove this wasn’t a fluke. Because if Thursday night showed us anything, it is that Gordon isn’t just along for the ride anymore. He’s become a legitimate weapon—and that should terrify the rest of the Western Conference.