Denver Nuggets News: Aaron Gordon injured in dog attack | Mile High Hoops podcast

Denver Nuggets News: Aaron Gordon injured in dog attack | Mile High Hoops podcast

What is up and welcome to another edition of the mile high hoops podcast as always I am your host Zach by and as always I appreciate you spending a sliver of your busy day with me right here on the podcast reacting to a Christmas Day win we have not checked in

Since before the holiday uh and then also some other stuff around the league and then some unfortunate news with the Denver Nuggets um before we get into any of that I hope you guys had a great uh Christmas if you uh celebrate Christmas or whatever you celebrate this time of

Year I hope uh you found some peace counted some blessings and uh spent some uh quality time with your family I certainly did um it was fantastic the recharge was much needed to say the least um but we’re back here ready to roll uh we have a couple games actually

At the time of recording Thursday afternoon we’re uh really about 5 and a half hours of away from tip off against the Memphis Grizzlies and then a backtack hosting the Oklahoma City Thunder and that task just got a whole lot more challenging with the news of

Aaron Gordon which we will tuck on a touch on here in just a second um first I just want to react to very briefly to uh the Christmas Day win over the Golden State Warriors uh again this was a few days ago now um it’s September 28th um

Obviously this game happened at ball arena in the middle of the afternoon on Christmas day uh which I loved like the fact that um you know someone asked me um uh a little bit earlier in the week like hey what do you think about the Nuggets not getting the prime time slot

On Christmas they did get the prime time slot that is that is the prime time slot it’s 12:30 about 2:30 Eastern right in the middle of the day what’s not the prime time slot is the 840 start uh here mountain time that doesn’t tip off until you know almost 11:00 Eastern that’s not

The prime time slot um so I was happy to see it I was happy the nuggets got a win on national TV I was hoping that we’d see a little bit more uh from Nicole yic who you know struggled from the floor four of 12 where he made most of his hay

Was at the free throw line a career high 18 made free throws on 18 attempts a perfect uh performance from the charity stripe and yic finished with 26 points 14 rebounds and eight assists they were paced by Jamal Murray who in his 33 minutes scored 28 points

And shot it well um nuggets ultimately win 120 to 114 and um you know we’re seeing um Jamal Murray slowly uh round back into shape uh uh a few officient uh scoring Nights two of the last three um for a 28 and 32 28 obviously a Christmas day but

The 32 points against Brooklyn which is a season High I think he continues to look more and more comfortable um which is encouraging Michael Porter Jr uh finished with 19 points on eight of 17 shooting three of 10 from three I don’t have the numbers uh right in front of me

It felt like Michael Porter Jr made those three threes in the first six minutes of the game uh doing most of his work there uh in that first quarter but did uh uh was active on the glass for 10 rebounds and he was a plus 23 a game

High plus 23 when he was on the floor all right it was a game where the Ben struggled but um at the end of the day nuggets get the win and they have now gone to 12-2 at home and are 8- one in their last nine games and just quick

Thought on you know uh the Warriors in general I I am feeling a shift Within Myself and you bigger picture here that I I just do not fear these guys like there was a a time not long ago I mean these are two of the last two Champions

Right where it’s like man they just kind of gave you a pit in your stomach you did not want to see uh that collection of talent um with that pedigree a championship pedigree and I just don’t feel that anymore and obviously Draymond Green not being there and you know we’ll

See what it looks like down the stretch but it’s just one of these things where I’m looking at a group that I just think the window is behind them they lose a game for every game that they win uh and at a certain point um judging what I saw

Last year as well from this group the sort of um disconnected nature for a couple years in a row with the Draymond pool stuff last year and the Draymond stuff once again this year being out of the mix again we’ll see what it looks like in a couple months but this is a

Team that I just I I don’t I don’t fear at all like at all in a seven game series um and I feel that way really again big picture um a thought here as the nuggets have had a few days off since Christmas and they’ll play again

Tonight um you know I don’t look at anyone with fear in the Western Conference I really don’t um you know certainly not the the the Lakers or uh the the Clippers you know who have been playing better so you kind of proceed with caution and respect but not not

Fear that would not be the word I would use not the Kings not the Mavericks um not the Pelicans uh the the the two teams that stick out you know are uh the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Nuggets will see Oklahoma City on Friday night um but uh

So we’ll see what that looks like in uh you know a low-key important matchup as I believe they have already split on the season in each of their own Barn so we’ll see what it looks like on Friday night they’re a team that’s ascending clearly um and and a team that I’ve

Professed on this podcast I really like to watch I mean I’m watching them on league pass last night they had a quarter where they’re just shooting the piss out of the ball C home Grims flying around I mean they’re just a fun group and Shay geldis Alexander is a top five

Player in the world right now go look at his game log what he’s done for the last I don’t know two and a half weeks it’s blistering uh to to to put it mildly um but but again you know fear is not a word I would use for Oklahoma City you

Know we’ll see what Memphis looks like on Thursday evening at ball Arena who is one four in a row JN Morant back in the fold looking fantastic um but again fear is not a word that I would use to describe uh the Grizzlies um this thing

Just feels wide open it really does and it’s an incredible opportunity here uh this season um to get back to the NBA finals you know we’ll see what happens with Minnesota if you got to go on the road I mean the nuggets have the same amount of wins

As the tea wolves do um so I don’t even you know the way that the nuggets are rolling right now they could be the one seed by the next time that we record so um again um Minnesota’s the one and we’ve talked about these guys you know

In the last couple um I don’t know month whatever it’s been um that man they look the part they really do they’re probably the story of the NBA right now of the NBA season that we’re about uh you know 32 games in so 50 in front of us um

They’re probably the story for me in the NBA um right now so we’ll keep our eye on it but again you know and I’m bringing this up because you know I was listening to a conversation uh with my former co-host Brandon stokeley on the fan and he was like you want to know

What the Nuggets one1 last year I’m I’m I’m good like I don’t need to see uh this group they don’t have to win another championship and you know technically he’s right but a part of the context of why I just uh Viet disagree is the context of the league right now

It’s there for the taking there is no there’s once again no juggernaut in in their way the nuggets are the Juggernaut I believe this spring so man it given the context and what I’ve already seen them do I’m to the point where because these guys make me adjust my

Expectations does that makes sense it’s like yic like when we can come in here and talk about a game where he goes for 28 n and eight and it and it’s not not a great yic game because he sets the expectation so it’s like one of these

Things where they have made me uh uh adjust the field goal post and I’m like no you you should go win one you should go win you should go win another I mean and if you don’t I think it’s fair to be uh disappointed should this group uh be

A healthy and now you know we transition to the Aaron Gordon stuff because this is um this is a blow and I know you guys have already seen this by now uh Aaron Gordon um 25 stitches attacked by a dog on Christmas night it’s one of the most

Bizarre sports injuries that I can remember and there’s been you know some different ones even within Denver Sports isolated uh this is right up there um this is a horrible story confirmation hasn’t come out whether or not it was his dog um if you were to speculate and which which will I

You know just dip our toe in the water like it’s fair to speculate because he’s SE he’s spotted with the dog on Christmas night on social media and stuff it’s a it’s a Rottweiler um you know for a guy the size of and I was talking about this

With my father-in-law like if you’re a guy the size of Aaron Gordon and you’re 68 250 whatever he is he’s a big strong dude and for him to have 25 stitches and ler lacerations on his face and his hands and stuff my thought goes to and again we don’t know if it’s his

Dog but you have to be in a vulnerable vulnerable position if you’re a guy of his size to get you know bitten like that so I think it’s reasonable again just dipping my toe in the speculation Waters like I think it’s reasonable to believe that you know his dog he’s

Comfortable enough having that dog you know close to his face and you know being vulnerable with his own animal and you know I could see where something like that could happen you know for whatever reason and we don’t know why these things happen they’re animals you

Know and it’s just so it’s it’s it’s sad and it’s unfortunate and I know um because I’ve seen a lot of this on social media um folks in in nuggets me media you know make sure making sure to emphasize just how traumatic of an incident this is for someone just

Because these guys are big and strong and fly around they’re human they bleed and whether it was his dog or not but especially if it is it’s traumatic it’s uh disturbing um it could cause you know Recollections nightmares you know it’s just not a good story okay and

My heart goes out to Aaron Gordon um my wife got bit by a dog when she was uh a kid and is still to this day at you know in her 30s and her mid-30s I don’t get about her age but she’s still skittish around um dogs you

Know all these years later decades later and if this is his dog and it’s that traumatic of a it’s just it’s it’s just not good and I just I want to make sure we put good energy positive thoughts Vibes prayers however you get down send

It to Aaron Gordon he’s going to be away from the team for a while and you know the last thing that you want to do is um come back prematurely before these things are totally healed um both in and out they can have the possibility of you

Know re-splitting we see that in you know boxing and martial arts coming back a little bit too soon from a big time laceration it can be a problematic and um so I am just I’ll tell you this it’s December 28th here at the time recording I’m just preparing not to see Aaron

Gordon playing for the Denver Nuggets for about a month for about a month um so I’m sure even by the next time we record we may have more details on this to you know paint inside the lines um so just not a good story but from from a

Basketball standpoint it’s going to be interesting to see how Michael Malone pivots here what does he do does does pton Watson uh now get thrust into the starting lineup is it Justin holiday I don’t know um and I don’t want to spend too much time on it because we’re going

To find out in a few hours and maybe even by the time you’re seeing this or hearing this um we we would already know the answers to those questions as we’re just a few hours from from tip off so we’ll see what happens uh on Thursday

Evening but just again it’s just one of these things where it was almost like we were just talking about last week and and the week prior of the weeks prior of like the theme of this season being the health now that they’ve already climbed the mountain it’s just getting back to

Uh base camp for the big climb of the postseason healthy and I’m not expecting this to hold Aaron Gordon out of the playoffs by any means but it’s it’s a blow to the health and now everyone’s going to have to step up not just for a

Night or a week I think this is going to be um an elongated absence uh for Gordon so uh we’ll see what it looks like for Aaron Gordon but just God Almighty I just man um one of my least favorite stories here um of 2023 so uh looking

Ahead at the schedule uh the Nuggets play we’ve been referencing it uh home against Memphis on Thursday evening and then a back toback against Oklahoma City on uh Friday evening uh historically the nuggets have played well against Memphis at home Memphis is hot coming in riding that 4 game win streak that we

Referenced um I could see a scenario where they split these two you know at home taking care of business on Thursday night uh maybe losing against Oklahoma City uh on on Friday and excuse me I I you know I I I misspoke when I said they

Each W in each other’s Barn the nuggets and we just talked about this last week or the week prior is that the Nuggets lost at that buzzer beater um W from sgaa on December 16th on Saturday at home um with with pton Watson in coverage where they played with the game

We spent some time on it they gave the they gave it back they gave the game’s Equity back in that last three minutes or whatever it was and outside of that outside of that if that never happens I mean we’re talking about the Denver Nuggets on a niname win streak which is

Just really really really really hard to do um so uh yeah and then if you look back a little bit uh earlier uh in the season at Oklahoma City Denver won that basketball game um at Oklahoma City so they’ve each beat each other on their home floor and we’ll see what it looks

Like back in Denver uh where the nuggets are one of the best home teams in the NBA but we’ll be without Aaron Gordon so um I’m I’m really looking forward to attacking um these next few games these next few podcasts um it’s an opportunity for for for Denver to put some wins in

Their pocket I mean after these next two challenging games it’s Charlotte it’s at uh Golden State which is going to present its own challenges that game will be um a week from today on TNT and then a home against Orlando home against Detroit who just set the NBA record for

Most consecutive losses at Utah home against the Pelicans home against Indiana and then you’re to the middle of January so we’ll have time plenty of time to break all that down um but we are about to turn the page to 2024 crazy so crazy and uh whatever these next few

Games have in store for us and whatever 2024 maybe a championship has in store for us you already know we’re going to be talking about it right here on the Mile High

Zach Bye reacts to the shocking news about Denver Nuggets F Aaron Gordon’s injuries from a dog attack, as well as the victory the Nuggets had over the Warriors on Christmas Day. #denversports #denvernuggets #milehighbasketball

📩 Stay up to date with all Denver sports and get the best coverage here: https://denversports.com/

🏆 Sign up for the FREE Denver Sports Daily Newsletter here: https://denversports.com/daily/#/

Topics: mile high basketball, denver nuggets, nikola jokic, aaron gordon, jamal murray, michael malone, zach bye,