Dylan Harper's father Ron Harper gets fired up as Aaron Gordon hits dagger dunk in Denver Nuggets vs LA Clippers

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon just made the play that may have saved his team's hopes in the 2025 NBA playoffs. On Saturday, Gordon threw down an emphatic dunk with 0.1 seconds left in Game 2 of Denver's first-round matchup against the LA Clippers in away territory. This gave the Nuggets a tight 101-99 victory to knot the hotly contested series at one apiece.

Given that this is now being considered as one of the craziest finishes for an NBA playoff game in recent memory, several individuals have since raved about Gordon's buzzer-beating dagger slam. This includes the father of Rutgers Scarlet Knights star Dylan Harper and five-time NBA champion Ron Harper, who reacted to the game-winner with a post on his X account.

As the game finished with its one-of-a-kind ending, the elder Harper shared how fired up he got watching another NBA playoffs classic between two tough teams from the Western Conference. He also shouted out Gordon for his late-game heroics as the first-round series now shifts back to Denver's home court of Ball Arena.

"What a game @NBAonTNT @LAClippers @nuggets AG too save the game wow. @LAClippers can’t down by 20 at home what a run to get back into the game 1. Extra play," Harper posted.

Gordon finished with steady numbers of 14 points on 5-of-9 overall shooting, six rebounds, five assists and two stocks (steals plus blocks) in 43 minutes of action. 2025 NBA MVP frontrunner Nikola Jokic picked up the pace to lead his squad to the win with 36 markers, 21 boards, eight dimes, two swipes and a block in 43 minutes of playing time.

The series now shifts back to Denver's home arena as they vie to take a commanding 2-1 lead in the playoff series against the Clippers on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Ron Harper's son, Dylan, is touted by many as one of the highest-rated prospects for the 2025 NBA draft later this year after having spent his rookie season with Steve Pikiell's team in the 2024-2025 campaign.

Dylan Harper is projected to be the No. 2 pick in the 2025 NBA draft

Per various early mock drafts, Dylan Harper is projected to be selected with the No. 2 pick for the Philadelphia 76ers, much to the delight of his father, Ron. He is currently ranked behind Duke Blue Devils sensation Cooper Flagg, who is expected to be the top pick in this year's draft. Harper's teammate, Ace Bailey, is then projected to go fourth to the Utah Jazz.

On his lone stint of college basketball, Harper averaged a team-high 19.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 steals per contest for Rutgers. The Scarlet Knights are now looking to get his name called in this year's draft after concluding with a 15-17 overall record, 8-12 during Big Ten play.