Is Aaron Gordon playing tonight? Nuggets vs. Timberwolves 2026 NBA Playoffs Game 5 injury report

The Denver Nuggets will try to save their season on Monday in Game 5 of their first-round series against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Aaron Gordon’s status remains up in the air for the win-or-go-home matchup.

Gordon is questionable for Game 5 due to left calf tightness. After missing Game 3 due to his calf ailment, Gordon returned during the Nuggets’ 112-96 Game 4 loss on Saturday. He played 23 minutes and posted nine points, one rebound and one block on 4-of-11 shooting from the field and 1-of-5 from three.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman admitted that Gordon wasn’t 100 percent following the defeat.

“There was no minutes restriction, but I think everyone saw that Aaron was laboring. So he gave us what he could,” Adelman said. “I thought it was unfair for me to keep him out there. I felt like he was really laboring in the second half… So we’re going to have to decide what we do for Game 5. I’ll have that conversation tomorrow, not just with the team doctors, but with Aaron himself. What did he feel throughout the game? And have an honest assessment of how he can help us in Game 5.”

Gordon’s two-way impact has been integral to the Nuggets’ success over the past few seasons.

Aaron Gordon injury status vs. Timberwolves

The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 14.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists on .516/.372/.752 shooting splits across 49 playoff appearances over the last four seasons. Denver outscored opponents by 11.5 more points per 100 possessions with Gordon on the court than off during the regular season, per CleaningTheGlass. That was the ninth-highest net rating swing among all NBA players who played over 1,000 minutes.

With Gordon hobbled, the Nuggets have dropped the last three games vs. the Timberwolves following a decisive Game 1 victory.

Nikola Jokic has struggled during the series, shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 18.5 percent from three while posting a playoff-career-high 4.0 turnovers per game. Jamal Murray has also struggled, shooting 37.1 percent from the field and 26.5 percent from three.

Meanwhile, key supporting pieces like Cam Johnson and Christian Braun have failed to elevate their games. Braun is averaging 9.2 points on 40.7 percent shooting in 32.1 minutes per game. Johnson has shot 4-of-18 (22.2 percent) during the series.

Gordon’s injury is a significant blow for the Nuggets as they attempt to climb out of a 3-1 hole. However, the Timberwolves will be without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo for the rest of the series. Edwards suffered a bone bruise in his left knee during Game 3, while DiVincenzo tore his right Achilles.

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