Is Aaron Gordon injured before Game 1 of 2025 NBA Playoffs? Nuggets star looks beat up before clash against Clippers (April 19)

Aaron Gordon and the Denver Nuggets will be opening their 2025 NBA playoffs campaign in the first round against the LA Clippers. The Nuggets will enjoy home-court advantage, starting in Game 1 at the Ball Arena.

Ahead of the series opener, Gordon’s appearance stirred concerns as he talked to the media on Friday with a black eye. However, it remained uncertain where he got it from. Nevertheless, he is expected to suit up for the Nuggets in Game 1 against the Kawhi Leonard-led Clippers.

When asked about his black eye and seemingly swollen lips, Gordon did not even know the reason how they got there. He then assured them that he was fine and would help the Nuggets in the playoffs.

"It feels fine, it looks worse than it is. I don't know, sometime during the regular season. Probably didn't get a call," he said.

Gordon played in the Nuggets’ final game of the regular season last Sunday against the Houston Rockets, where he was also seen with bruises on his face. The 6-foot-8 Gordon has been the Nuggets’ go-to defender, often defending opposing teams’ best players on the perimeter and inside the paint, making him susceptible to such injuries.

Gordon averaged 14.7 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game this season. However, he missed a significant amount of time this year due to injuries to his calf and ankle, logging in only 51 games.

The Nuggets still managed to grab the fourth seed in the Western Conference, winning 50 games against 32 losses on the backs of MVP candidate Nikola Jokic.

Aaron Gordon gears up for tough matchup against LA Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard

Aaron Gordon is expected to be the primary defender for the Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard throughout their first-round series. Leonard has been an experienced playoff performer, winning two titles with two different teams in his career.

With such a tough defensive assignment, Gordon said he would need to watch films to scout Leonard’s movements to remain ready for him in the playoffs.

"I'm going to watch a lot of film, first and foremost…He does a good job of lulling you to sleep...The next thing you know, he's going crazy," Gordon said in the DNVR Nuggets podcast.

Leonard averaged 21.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game this season. In their playoff-clinching win against the Golden State Warriors in their season finale, Leonard dropped 33 points, six rebounds, and seven assists in 47 minutes to steer the Clippers to victory.

The Nuggets-Clippers matchup is seen to be one of the most evenly contested series in the playoffs as both teams finished the season with identical records, and have stars who have once won it all.