Nikola Jokic Told Aaron Gordon Not to Play with Injury in Nuggets vs. Thunder Game 7

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić suggested to Aaron Gordon the veteran forward should sit out Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals.

"I told him to not play," Jokić told reporters following Sunday's 125-93 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder. "You can injure yourself even worse. You can see that he was struggling a little bit, hard to move and this and that. He went out there and fought with us and we can just appreciate that."

Hours before the game tipped off, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Gordon has a Grade 2 hamstring strain that will require a recovery period of multiple weeks. He was nonetheless on the floor with Denver's season on the line.

Gordon finished with eight points and 11 rebounds in 25 minutes, which was solid production under the circumstances. The hamstring strain was clearly limiting him on the court.

Alas, having Gordon fully healthy probably wouldn't have made much of a difference. The Thunder held the Nuggets to 39.3 percent shooting, including 10-of-45 on three-pointers. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 35 points, while Jalen Williams had 24 points, five rebounds, seven assists and one steal.

Oklahoma City was the stronger team in this series and delivered a dominant display in Game 7.