Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon suffered dog bites to his face and hand on Christmas Day and as a result, will be out indefinitely.
NBA insider Shams Charania first reported the news on Wednesday.
“Gordon required 21 stitches to the lacerations on his face and right hand — his shooting hand — following the dog bite, league sources said,” Charania said.
“Gordon is “in good condition” and will be away from the team while recovering, the Nuggets said Wednesday. They provided no timetable for his return.”
Although there is no set date for Gordon to return to the court, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that there’s “optimism that his absence will be short-term.”
Nuggets coach Michael Malone was asked about the incident after practice Wednesday.
“He’s hanging in there,” Malone said. “Obviously, a very traumatic experience and the most important thing I told him is that you take as much time as you need. We’re a family — wins, losses, and when people go through tough times like Aaron’s going through right now.
“We have his back. We love him. We’re here for him. So whenever he’s able to come back, we’re going to open our arms up and embrace him. I told all the guys to make sure they’re reaching out to him, to make sure he’s never feeling like he’s on an island.”
Malone also explained that Gordon definitely won’t be rushed back to play.
“We need him to heal inside and out,” said Malone, whose team hosts Memphis on Thursday. “Going through something like that is not something you come back from easily. That’s something where you have to heal from the physical, but you also have to heal from the mental and what you just kind of went through.
The 28-year-old is averaging 13.6 points and 6.9 rebounds for the defending NBA champions.
Before the injuries occurred, he recorded 16 points and ten rebounds in the Nuggets’ 120-114 win over the Warriors on Christmas Day.
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