The final sequence of Game 4 of the Denver Nuggets vs. the Los Angeles Clippers was wild. After blowing a 22-point lead, the Nuggets found themselves with the ball with the game tied at 99 and 8.0 seconds remaining in regulation. The Nuggets put the ball in their three-time NBA MVP, Nikola Jokic’s hands, and let him go to work. While Jokic threw up a fade away, 23-foot prayer from the right side of the floor with just under two seconds to play, it was the hands of Aaron Gordon that would prove to be the difference. Gordon turned Jokic’s looping jump shot into an alley-oop dunk at the buzzer for the walk-off win. After an official review, the basket was confirmed and the Nuggets had won 101-99, tying the series at two. Many across the basketball world have been collectively losing their minds since the play happened, but one former NBA star, now Basketball Hall-of-Famer, Dwyane Wade, immediately took to social media to send a clear six-word message following Game 4’s wild ending.
“Aaron Gordon doing the dog work!” Wade posted to his official X account. Wade, who was known as a talented all-around player, was never afraid to do the “dog work”. Wade seemingly never let his ego get in the way of his play, letting he and his teammates game do the talking. After winning his first NBA championship with the Miami Heat in 2006, he famously took a back seat to LeBron James. The duo went on to win two more championships for the Heat.
While Gordon isn’t the caliber of player Wade was, he’s known as one of the most talented dunkers of his generation, and appears to be a team player, ceding shot attempts to Jokic, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and Christian Braun on a nightly basis. On Saturday, Gordon finished with 14 points on just nine field goal attempts, none more important than the game-winning dunk.
This first-round, Western Conference series is now tied 2-2, as the series heads back to Denver. Game 5 tips off on Tuesday at 10 p.m. EDT.
