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Feb 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32) before the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

ESPN’s Malika Andrews Reveals Secret to Aaron Gordon’s Shooting Spree vs Warriors

Originally posted on EssentiallySports
By Vaibhavi Malhotra | Last updated Oct 24, 2025 4:02 AM ET

Aaron Gordon is on fire. 7-of-7 from three in the first half, 25 points by halftime, and the Denver Nuggets holding a 70-61 lead over the Golden State Warriors. But what’s fueling this streak? ESPN’s Malika Andrews got the scoop straight from Gordon himself. Off a hamstring setback that hampered him last postseason, Gordon’s offseason was anything but ordinary.

Because who starts a season like this? Gordon’s game has never looked cleaner, and his confidence has never been higher. But there’s something beneath the stat line that caught ESPN’s Malika Andrews’ eye, and her reporting may have just given us the missing piece of the puzzle. He told Andrews, as she reported, “Aaron Gordon told me, Dave, that he feels like he’s had one of the best off-seasons of his career.”

She continued, “Remember, he suffered that Grade 2 hamstring strain in the playoffs, and it really hampered him.” But his secret isn’t just training, but major lifestyle changes. His living room is now a mini gym with a regulation hoop. “It has a regulation basketball hoop, so he can roll out of bed, maybe after he takes a nap, and he can go get some shots up,” Andrews added. “He’s really felt that has elevated his game here, Dave.”

Turns out, Gordon’s secret wasn’t a new trainer or shooting coach, but proximity. He literally built his recovery around muscle memory. Roll out of bed, shoot. Eat lunch, shoot. Watch film, and well, shoot again. The consistency shows. Gordon ended the night with a career-high 50 points on 17-of-21 shooting and an impressive 10-of-11 from three.

It’s the most efficient 50-point game in Nuggets history and one of the most accurate in NBA history by true shooting percentage. So much so that even Stephen Curry took notice.

Curry said of Gordon’s performance against the Warriors: “Ridiculous. Whatever he did this summer, it worked.” And well, the growth of Gordon’s shooting has been building toward this moment. Last season, he hit 43.6% from three in 51 regular-season games, which is a far cry from his earlier years in Orlando, where he hovered around the low 30s. What’s changed?

His shot selection, rhythm, and sheer comfort in Denver’s offense. With Nikola Jokic drawing defenses, Gordon’s looks are clean, and his confidence is contagious. Meanwhile, the Nuggets’ offense continues to hum around their frontcourt chemistry.

How Aaron Gordon has proven to be an asset for the Nuggets

Jokic recorded another triple-double with 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists, while Jamal Murray added 25 points and 10 assists of his own. It’s the balance Denver’s front office envisioned when they locked Gordon into a four-year, $133 million contract extension in 2024. Nights like these make that contract look like a bargain.

Dec 22, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Denver Nuggets guard Russell Westbrook (4) celebrates a basket by guard Jamal Murray (27) next to forward Aaron Gordon (32) against the New Orleans Pelicans during overtime at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

And yet, for all his brilliance, the night ended in heartbreak. Stephen Curry dropped 42 points, including a wild game-tying three with 21.9 seconds left to force overtime. Golden State went on to win 137-131, but even in defeat, Gordon stole the headlines.

His 50 points marked a career high, a franchise record for threes in a half, and an early warning to the rest of the league that Denver’s third option can flip a game on his own.

For Gordon, who entered the league in 2014 with sky-high athletic expectations but inconsistent shooting, this feels like a full-circle moment. He’s no longer the highlight dunker searching for a jumper, but he’s rather a complete forward anchoring a championship-caliber core.

Denver fans might’ve left the arena disappointed by the final score, but they saw a glimpse of what happens when resilience meets reinvention. Up next, the Nuggets face the Phoenix Suns in their home opener.

Another test and one more chance for Gordon to prove that this was not a one-night wild night, but the start of something even bigger.

This article first appeared on EssentiallySports and was syndicated with permission.

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