The Grizzlies are coming off a brutal loss to the Sixers Thursday night as they welcome the West-leading Nuggets to the FedEx Forum. Will Denver have their star power forward Aaron Gordon for tonight?
The Grizzlies and Nuggets are set to clash Saturday night in a battle of the top two seeds in the Western Conference. The Nuggets are coming off a hard-fought win over the Cavaliers on Thursday night. The Grizzlies meanwhile blew a big lead that same night, falling to the Sixers.
With the top two teams heading in the opposite direction following the All-Star break, it is imperative that the Grizzlies handle business at home. Luckily for them, it looks like one of the Nuggets’ best players will not be suiting up.
Aaron Gordon injury update: Out once again against the Grizzlies
Aaron Gordon has been pivotal to the Nuggets’ success this season. He is putting up a strong 17.3 points and 6.9 rebounds with a very efficient .587/.397/62.3 shooting line. His physical play style is a great contrast to the flair and precision of Nikola Jokic, and his defensive abilities are important for an offensive-minded starting lineup.
His rib injury sustained in a loss to Orlando hasn’t slowed the team down, however, as they are on a four-game winning streak without him and are 7-4 overall without him this season. The Nuggets are clearly a good enough team to overcome his absence, but it still gives Memphis less to worry about. He has been officially ruled out according to the NBA injury report.
Other injury news to know for Grizzlies vs. Nuggets
Luckily for the Grizzlies, they have no injuries outside of Steven Adams’ continued absence. The Nuggets will be missing backup power forward Zeke Nnaji as well thanks to a shoulder injury. Xavier Tillman and Brandon Clarke will handle the center spot for the Grizzlies, and Vlatko Čančar should continue to start for the Nuggets in Aaron Gordon’s absence.
The NBA injury report doesn’t mention him, but Luke Kennard is also set to return from an illness. The Grizzlies’ trade deadline addition will look to help them recover from a dreadful shooting night in their last game.