Aaron Gordon won the Nuggets a game for the second time in three days but did so in a much different fashion.
In Saturday’s overtime win over the Spurs, Denver’s starting power forward did it with defense. Monday’s 137-132 overtime win over the Trail Blazers required Gordon to get it done on offense with a skill that hasn’t always been in his bag.
“It’s a life’s work, you know?” Gordon said of adding a reliable jump shot to his repitoire.
“It’s practice, repetition, fine-tuning, tweaking, then getting in the game and letting it go.”
The Nuggets, which trailed by as many as 18, were down three in the final 90 seconds of regulation, when it was time for Gordon to let it fly. Cam Johnson found Gordon in the left corner for a game-tying 3-pointer. A couple of possessions later, Jamal Murray found Gordon in the other corner for what appeared to be a 3-pointer. A review flipped it to a two-pointer, and Deni Avdija tied the game on the other end.
“It’s incredible the improvement over the years. I date myself all the time, because I go back to Orlando,” Nuggets coach David Adelman, who was an assistant when Gordon was in Orlando to start his career, said. “It’s like a completely different fundamental set of how he shots the ball. It’s effortless. It’s calm. Even though he’s athletic, he doesn’t have to jump high to shoot it.”
Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, center, drives to the basket between Portland Trail Blazers center Donovan Clingan, left, and guard Jrue Holiday in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, April 6, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Gordon was a 32% on 3s for his career when Denver traded for him a little more than five years ago. He’s shot 35% or better in three of the last four seasons after making it a priority prior to Denver’s championship season.
“Basically, all I did in the summer was shoot diligently. I made a concerted effort to shoot each shot individually,” Gordon said.
“Taking my time, I wasn’t speeding anything up or rushing or anything, just shooting and taking care of each shot. I knew we were getting healthy and going to have a chance at the run, and (I’m) just doing what I can to space the floor.”
Just like Saturday, overtime required a bit more from Gordon to extend Denver’s win streak to nine games. Gordon started overtime with a 3 from the right quarter. There was an opportunity for the 30-year-old to take a heat check, but he passed up an open look for an even better shot for Jamal Murray, who made a 3 from the right wing that put Denver up six. The Nuggets never trailed again.
“Sometimes you get labeled when you come into the league. You get labeled a certain way. Then, they act like you don’t get better,” Murray said of Gordon.
“It’s just a testament to his work ethic, his confidence and his ability to adapt and sacrifice for the team.”
Toumani Camara led Portland’s blazing night from deep. Camara made 8 of 13 attempts, and Portland finished 25 of 52 from deep.
Gordon scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half and overtime. Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with a 35-point, 14-rebound, 13-assist triple-double, while Murray (20), Johnson (17), Jonas Valanciunas (14) and Julian Strawther (11) also scored in double figures for Denver. Three other Nuggets – Murray (7), Johnson (7) and Gordon (5) – recorded five or more assists, as things continued to click for the Nuggets with three games left in the regular season.
In 61 playoff games as a member of the Nuggets, Gordon’s shooting nearly 38% from beyond the arc.
“It’s such a testament to a professional basketball player, who already is getting paid a lot of money to be a great athlete, defensive player, rebounder, ball-handling, passing and looks at himself honestly and says, ‘But I got to be able to shoot the ball better.’ That’s a year-by-year process of work that he put in. It just speaks to his professionalism,” Adelman said.
“It’s become a weapon. It was throughout the playoffs last year, and I believe it will be this year, too.”
NUGGETS 137, TRAIL BLAZERS 132, OT
What happened: Portland led by four after the first quarter and took a 72-58 lead to halftime. Denver faced a 14-point deficit to start the fourth and had to settle for overtime after Nikola Jokic’s hook shot and tip-in were off at the buzzer. The Nuggets never trailed in overtime.
What went right: Denver finished with a 66-32 advantage in points in the paint.
What went wrong: The Trail Blazers went 16 for 30 from 3-point range in the first half, while Denver went 3 for 16.
Highlight of the night: Nikola Jokic gave Robert Williams III a lesson in post footwork late in the first quarter. Jokic spun 180 degrees multiple times before hitting a right-handed hook shot over Portland’s back-up center.
Up next: Denver hosts Memphis on Wednesday at Ball Arena.