Jamal Murray's buzzer beater and Nikola Jokic's exceptional triple-double overshadowed everything after the Nuggets' victory in Game 2. It was difficult for their teammates to shine in their shadow, and yet many highlighted the performance ofAaron Gordon in this second round. The former Magic power forward has changed this team since his arrival in March 2021, with his sense of sacrifice and his athletic qualities, and Monday night, he changed the course of the match by taking care of Anthony Davis.
The Lakers' interior was 11 of 12 at halftime, and the Lakers' pick-and-roll seemed unsolvable for the Nuggets and Nikola Jokic. And then Aaron Gordon came on the scene…
“AD was eating us. It’s as if we had no effect on him.” says Mike Malone. “We didn't help him enough. At the start of the 3rd quarter, Nikola wanted to defend on him, to see if we could hinder him. And then we put Aaron on him…”
Anthony Davis scores only one basket with Aaron Gordon on his back
At that time, Anthony Davis had just given the Lakers a 17-point lead. Mike Malone changes strategy. He asks Nikola Jokic to defend Rui Hachimura, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to take care of LeBron James, and therefore Aaron Gordon to pass on Anthony Davis.
“They just said they were changing and Aaron was up for the challenge.” says Peyton Watson. “He didn’t flinch. He didn't hide. »
The result ? Anthony Davis will only score one basket until the end of the match, 23 minutes! He will only take one shot in the last quarter, and over the entire second half, he will take as many fouls (3) as shots (3)!
“If we can’t score against me, and I can score, it’s going to be a long evening” reacts Aaron Gordon, author of 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. “I just showed him something else, I tried to make things difficult for him. Ryan (Saunders) did a good job coming up with that change, and I wanted to be physical with him. »
The rebound and the pass of hope!
With less than 80 seconds remaining, it is also through his physique that Aaron Gordon will stand out, but on the other side of the field. On the same action, he will sign the rebound and the pass of hope. It's him who will snatch a ball from under the circle to find Michael Porter Jr. behind the 3-point line.
The Nuggets winger doesn't ask any questions, and he equalizes (95-95). “It was a huge shot, and we don’t know what would have happened if he hadn’t taken it…” emphasizes Aaron Gordon.
Near him in the locker room, Peyton Watson doesn't miss a beat of the answers, and he repeats all the good things he thinks of his teammate.
“It’s impressive, especially for someone like me, who takes a lot of pride in defending. I learn as much as I can from him, but more than anything, I learn from his mentality and his mindset. It takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there in a nationally televised game in front of a huge crowd.”
