Denver Nuggets Injury Report (Jan. 4): Latest update on Aaron Gordon and Reggie Jackson's availability

The Denver Nuggets will visit the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, January 4. Reggie Jackson is expected to participate in the game despite dealing with tightness in his right calf. Aaron Gordon is also back in the rotation after missing two games due to a dog bite over the holiday period.

Gordon recently spoke about his random injury, taking the blame for the incident by noting he was playing rough with his dog after having too much to drink, which led to hit pet becoming over-excited.

"I don’t drink a lot during the season," Gordon said, as reported by Joe Morgan of Fox News. "I probably had a little bit too much eggnog. I was kind of roughhousing with my dog and I think my dog got a little excited and just basically chomped down. Gave me a bite. And I was basically wrestling him off of me, and then he bit my hand."

With Jackson and Gordon, both expected to be part of Mike Malone's rotation, the Nuggets will be heading into their game against Golden State with a full roster, outside of Vlatko Cancar, who continues to recover from surgery on his knee.

The reigning NBA champions have already defeated the Warriors on two occasions this season and will be looking to secure a third on Thursday.

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Aaron Gordon continues to play a key role for the Denver Nuggets

Aaron Gordon has emerged as the ideal third star behind Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray for the Denver Nuggets. For the majority of his career, Gordon was miscast as a primary or secondary option while with the Orlando Magic.

However, since joining the Nuggets and accepting a tertiary role, Gordon has thrived. He has played in 197 regular-season games for Denver, averaging 15.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, shooting 61.1% from 2-point range and 33.1% from 3-point range.

Gordon has also participated in 35 postseason games for Denver, helping them win a championship ring last season. In those outings, he's averaging 12.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists, shooting 51.9% from 2-point range and 35.7% from deep.

The versatility that Gordon brings to both sides of the floor has been a welcome addition to Denver's overall rotation. His size and athleticism mean that he can guard multiple positions as part of a switching defensive system while he's also a threat to drive close-outs or finish plays when attacking the rim off the catch.

Gordon's speedy return from his injury will ensure the Nuggets remain one of the most competitive teams in the Western Conference. They will head into their game against the Golden State Warriors as the favorites to secure a win, with the sportsbooks having them as -152 on the money line.

Gordon may not be the primary star on Malone's team, but his value toward winning has been evident over the past three seasons.