Aaron Gordon Injury Update & Jabari Smith Jr. Rockets Highlight

During the Denver Nuggets game against the Houston Rockets, forward Aaron Gordon suffered a painful hamstring injury. Unfortunately, he is an integral player to the Nuggets, and when he hurt himself during quarter one while driving strong to the paint, he tried to return to the game but couldn't walk at all. Twenty-four minutes into the game, he finally left the court and went to the locker room. About an hour later, the Denver Nuggets confirmed he would not be returning with a right hamstring strain.  

Aaron Gordon has exited the game after suffering a lower body injury. pic.twitter.com/u0zjj10LkI

— TSN (@TSN_Sports) November 22, 2025

These types of injuries can derail a season, and for Denver, who is sitting at the top of the Western conference, they couldn't come at a worse time. Active defenders and scorers like Gordon are imperative to maintaining championship contention as the season grows more competitive, so the fact there is currently no official timeline for his return is troubling. Fans and analysts alike are on the lookout for updates, as hamstring issues require patients to be very careful before returning. In the meantime, Denver is going to have to rely more on the rest of their forward roster, so expect more updates as injuries are further examined.  

Jabari Smith Jr. Rockets Latest Performance: Is His Form Peaking?

One more time, Jabari Smith Jr. provided the Rockets' fans and the organization with an excellent and lively show. This time, they came with a victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, and he made 16 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists. Even though he had a knee issue before the game, Smith Jr. showed his toughness and played 36 minutes.   

Even though the first few games of the season, Smith Jr. had a rough start, he has amassed a few more double-digit games and improved his three-point shooting and rebounding. Rockets fans have a positive outlook on his steady improvements with the team being on the edge of a playoff berth. As of now,  Smith Jr. is averaging during the current season 15.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and shooting more than 42% from the field. This makes Smith Jr. stats respectable for a player in his position and of his age.  

Nuggets vs Rockets: Who Steps Up After Aaron Gordon’s Injury?

Jabari Smith Jr. should have an even bigger game for the Rockets against the Nuggets now that Aaron Gordon is injured. The Nuggets will have to change how they play, and Gordon's defensive and rebounding minutes will likely go to other young offensive players, Peyton Watson and Justin Holiday.

This matchup really comes down to how deep each side is. The Rockets are taking full advantage of Smith Jr. coming to life while the Nuggets are riding the bench until Gordon makes his return to the lineup.   

Why are Injuries Changing Team Strategies in the NBA Year 2025?   

This 2025 NBA season has not been kind to any of the franchises in the league. Out of the stars that are in the league, the likes of Aaron Gordon and Jabari Smith Jr. are also in and out of the line-ups. Coaches are forced to empty their rotations while also putting a hard cap on how many minutes their injured players would be logging on any given night in hopes that both their injuries would heal sooner rather than later. With this strategy comes the opportunity for the younger players on the roster to showcase their abilities, and the teams are left trying to adapt on the fly to identify their new floor captain and primary scoring option.

Jabari Smith Jr. vs. Aaron Gordon: Highlights of the Game

Gordon has been a reliable veteran that Smith Jr. has outscored or matched multiple times in Denver. Analysts have been comparing Smith Jr. and Gordon’s power forward styles Smith Jr.’s stats indicate he has been out rebounding the veteran and shooting at a higher range. Gordon has had his fair share of battles in this primary defense role for Denver. They both have had injuries and we still getting things done which was a good sign for the rest of the team.  

Latest Updates Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets NBA Injury News

Fans are getting anxious about the waiting time for Gordon to get back and how Smith Jr. can stay in the form he was before the instances of injuries. Nuggets medical staff have to sit back and relax because of the time it takes for injuries of this kind. Rockets are hoping Smith Jr.s injury does not get worse, he has been a key for them getting wins and they need to keep getting those wins. Fans should check the teams social media for the most recent updates on injuries.