Aaron Gordon's shift wasn't over after playing for more than 38 minutes in Denver's Game 6 win on Thursday at Ball Arena.
"I feel OK. We'll see. I'm going to start the recovery process now to make sure I'm ready for Game 7," Gordon said after the Nuggets forced a winner-take-all game with a 119-107 victory over the top-seeded Thunder.
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The 29-year-old might've played slightly more, but he appeared to tweak his left hamstring going after a loose ball in the final two minutes of the fourth quarter. He was subbed in and out of the game multiple times in the final minutes.
"I just reached out. I'm not entirely sure what happened," Gordon said of the sequence that left him grabbing at the back of his leg. "I'm just going to recover, see what I can do in Game 7."
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Gordon had his worst scoring night of the series. After posting between 10 and 22 points in games 1 through 5, he finished with five points on 2-of-7 shooting. He still helped the Nuggets even the series by dishing out seven assists, grabbing seven rebounds and providing valuable defense on Oklahoma City's No. 2, Jalen Williams. Williams made just 3 of his 16 shots and finished with six points on Thursday. He scored between 10 and 32 points in the first five games of the series. A significantly limited or unavailable Gordon would leave a big task for a potential replacement, but it's too early to say how Gordon will be impacted.
"At this point, I have no idea," Nuggets interim coach David Adelman answered when asked about his level of concern over Gordon's injury. "It would be high, obviously. Aaron is one of our guys. He's the reason why we've won games and won series and have a banner hanging up in there. It's really nice to have two days, obviously, for all the guys to have treatment."
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Fortunately for Gordon and the Nuggets, there's a two-day break between the sixth and seventh games of the series. The Nuggets and Thunder have played every other day since the series started. Denver also only had a pair of two-day breaks during the seven-game series against the Clippers in the first round.
"We'll see how it feels tomorrow morning," Gordon said.
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The hamstring is the latest in a line of ailments Gordon has dealt with this season. There were a couple of calf strains that cost him multiple weeks at two different points in the regular season. He also dealt with knee and ankle issues at different times but has been available for the first 13 games of Denver's postseason run ahead of another Game 7.
"It's hard to even explain. It's hard to compare it to anything," Gordon said of playing in a Game 7. "The intensity, the energy of it, it's hard to explain just being out there, battling with your team, with your brothers. It's a really, really great feeling."
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Sunday's game will mark the third straight series Denver has played a seven-game series. The Nuggets lost to Minnesota in the second round last season and beat the Clippers in the first round this year. If there's any way he can play Sunday, and help set up a rematch with the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, count on Gordon to give it a go.
"Play like it's your last game ever," Gordon said of the mindset heading into Game 7.