The injury bug is infecting the Nuggets this season.
Denver forward Aaron Gordon is expected to be out for at least a month after he re-injured his right hamstring, the team announced Thursday.
Gordon, 30, suffered the injury during the Nuggets’ 102-100 win over the Bucks on Friday, when he played just 16 minutes in the first half.
The team said Gordon will be evaluated in four to six weeks, which sets him up to possibly make a return in early March.
Gordon has already missed significant time this season, being sidelined for over a month after he strained the same hamstring during an NBA Cup game against the Rockets on Nov. 21.
The 12-year NBA veteran has been a key player for the Nuggets while on the court, averaging 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds while shooting over 50 percent from the field through 23 games this season.
Gordon’s hamstring issue is just the latest in a long list of injuries affecting the Nuggets this season, with three-time MVP center Nikola Jokic being sidelined for the past month as he recovers from a knee injury.
Jokic will be re-evaluated by Denver in roughly one week, with the seven-time All-Star being “in the ramp-up phase of his return-to-play process,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said during an episode of “NBA Today” on Tuesday.
Through 32 games this season, Jokic has put up 29.6 points, 12.2 rebounds, and 11 assists while shooting 60 percent from the field.
Additionally, Cam Johnson has been out since Dec. 23 with a knee injury, though he is expected to make a return in the near future, given the four-to-six-week timeline he was given.
Christian Braun also has been limited to just 14 games this season after suffering a left ankle sprain back in November.
Backup big man Jonas Valanciunas has missed significant time this season, being sidelined for three weeks after straining his right calf during Denver’s win over the Raptors on Dec. 31.
Despite the injuries, however, the Nuggets hold a 31-16 record, sitting third in the Western Conference behind the Thunder and Spurs.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
