Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon was cleared to play Sunday night at the Los Angeles Clippers after missing 10 games with a right calf strain.
Gordon, 29, was upgraded from “out” to “doubtful” on the team’s Saturday injury report. He then was reassessed as questionable to play on Sunday morning.
He remains out of the Nuggets’ starting lineup as Peyton Watson continued to fill his role in Los Angeles.
On Nov. 4, Gordon walked to the locker room under his own power at a first-quarter timeout during Denver’s home game against the Raptors. He didn’t return. The starting power forward had already been dealing with calf inflammation entering the game.
Gordon traveled with the team to Utah for its game against the Jazz on Wednesday, and he participated in a full practice for the first time Saturday. Before the injury, he was averaging 15.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in seven games. He had also started the season scorching hot from 3-point range, firing away at a 54.5% clip.
The Nuggets have sorely missed his defensive versatility. Through 17 games as he prepared to make his return, they ranked 19th in the NBA in defensive rating and averaged the third-most points in the paint per game.
