What happened to Aaron Gordon? Nuggets forward to remain away from team after dog bite injury

The Nuggets will be without Aaron Gordon for the near future after an unfortunate incident at home.

On Dec. 27, the team announced that Gordon would be away from the team after suffering a dog bite on Dec. 25. The incident occurred after Denver’s Christmas Day win over Golden State in which Gordon finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds.

What happened to Gordon and how long will he be away from the team? Here is what we know about his situation moving forward.

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What happened to Aaron Gordon?Per an official statement from the Nuggets, Gordon suffered lacerations to his face and hand resulting from a dog bite on Dec. 25. The statement added that Gordon is “in good condition” but will remain away from the team.

The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the bites Gordon suffered to his face and right shooting hand required 21 stitches. 

“He’s hanging in there,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said of Gordon. “Obviously, a very traumatic experience and the most important thing I told him is that you take as much time as you need. We’re a family — wins, losses, and when people go through tough times like Aaron’s going through right now.”

How long is Aaron Gordon out?According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, “there’s no concrete timeline for [Gordon’s] return, but there’s optimism that his absence will be short-term.”

Malone added, “We’re here for him. So whenever he’s able to come back, we’re going to open our arms up and embrace him. I told all the guys to make sure they’re reaching out to him, to make sure he’s never feeling like he’s on an island.”

Gordon, who is averaging 13.6 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season, missed four of Denver’s first 32 games. The Nuggets held their own during Gordon’s earlier absence, going 4-0 while he nursed a strained right heel in late November.

Here is Denver’s upcoming schedule:

Date Opponent Time (ET) TV channel Dec. 28 vs. Grizzlies 9 p.m. — Dec. 29 vs. Thunder 9 p.m. — Jan. 1 vs. Hornets 9 p.m. — Jan. 4 at Warriors 10 p.m. TNT Jan. 5 vs. Magic 9 p.m. —Aaron Gordon career stats13.4 points per game6.3 rebounds per game2.6 assists per game0.8 steals per game0.6 blocks per game1.5 turnovers per game47.5 percent field goal shooting32.3 3-point field goal shooting68.3 percent free throw shooting

Author(s)

Gilbert McGregor is an NBA content producer for The Sporting News.