Aaron Gordon away from Nuggets after dog bite to face, hand،
DENVER — Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon needed 21 stitches after suffering lacerations to his face and right hand when he was bitten by a family dog over Christmas.
The Nuggets announced in a statement that Gordon, 28, “is in good condition” but will remain away from the team. There is no concrete timetable for his return, but there is optimism that his absence will be short-lived, a source told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Gordon is averaging 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds for the defending NBA champions. He had 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 120-114 win over Golden State on Christmas.
“He’s holding his own,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after Wednesday’s practice. “Obviously it's a very traumatic experience and the most important thing I told him is to take as much time as you need. We're a family – wins, losses, and when people go through moments difficult like Aaron right now. .
“We support him. We love him. We're here for him. So whenever he can come back, we're going to open our arms and hug him. I told all the guys to make sure that They reach out to him, to make sure he never feels like he's on an island.”
The Athletic was the first to report details of the incident.
The Nuggets are off to a 22-10 start in their quest to repeat as champions. Gordon, who shoots with his right hand, will not be returned to the field.
“We need him to heal inside and out,” said Malone, whose team hosts Memphis on Thursday. “Experiencing something like that is not something you come back from easily. It's something where you have to heal physically, but you also have to heal mentally and what you just experienced.
“We want him back. We know we're better off with him. But I want to support Aaron Gordon and make sure that when he comes back, he's ready to come back and play at the level that we know he is able.”
Teammate Kentavious Caldwell-Pope said he planned to contact Gordon after hearing the news in practice.
“He just uplifts everyone who comes when he’s with them,” Caldwell-Pope said. “We need to do the same for him.”
The Nuggets were without Gordon for five games earlier this season due to right heel strain. They also played without point guard Jamal Murray for more than a dozen games as he dealt with ankle and hamstring issues.
“To our players’ credit, whether it’s Jamal or Aaron, it doesn’t matter, our guys stepped up,” Malone said. “It speaks to the quality of our depth. We have guys who step up and take advantage of every opportunity.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
