Nuggets’ Aaron Gordon (hamstring) to miss Game 5 vs. Timberwolves

The Denver Nuggets announced that forward Aaron Gordon will miss Game 5 of Denver’s first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night with left calf tightness. The series returns to Denver with the sixth-seed Timberwolves up 3-1.

Gordon already missed Game 3 with tightness in his hamstring and has averaged 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in the three games he has played. He played 23 minutes in the Nuggets’ 112-96 Game 4 loss, in which Denver couldn’t capitalize on the Timberwolves losing Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo in the game.

The 30-year-old forward missed 46 games this season with similar hamstring issues. Gordon’s 36 games played this past regular season were the fewest of his career. His previous low was 51 appearances in 2024-25. In total, Gordon has played fewer than 60 games in just three of his 12 seasons. Gordon played 29 minutes, scoring 17 points in Denver’s Game 1 win, which is its only one of the series. In the two games Gordon has played in this series, he’s averaged just 8.5 points, both resulting in losses.

Denver will also be without forward Peyton Watson due to a right hamstring strain.

The Timberwolves have Denver in a must-win spot after a contentious first-round series, with a war of words that boiled over into a real-life altercation in Game 4.

Minnesota forward Jaden McDaniels, who previously called out the entire Denver starting lineup by name and deemed them “all bad defenders,” scored an open layup in garbage time to close the matchup Saturday. Nuggets center Nikola Jokic took exception to the action and rushed McDaniels, getting in his face, and the benches cleared. Jokic and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle were fined for their respective involvement.

In what is the third playoff series in four years between these teams, Minnesota will try to end the Nuggets’ season in Game 5 at 10:30 p.m. ET.