When it looked like the Denver Nuggets were about to collapse, Aaron Gordon flew in to save the night — and maybe the season.
In a wild Game 4 against the Clippers, Denver watched a 20-point fourth-quarter lead vanish before their eyes. Tied at 99-99 with the clock almost empty, desperation set in. Nikola Jokic, hounded by two defenders, launched a fading three that didn’t even touch the rim.
But Aaron Gordon wasn’t ready to let it end.
Leaping above the chaos, Gordon snatched the airball and thundered down a putback dunk as the buzzer blared. Ball Arena froze. Then erupted. Final score: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99. The series? Knotted up at 2-2.
So Close, It Needed a Microscope
Immediately, the refs went to the monitor. Was Gordon’s hand still on the ball when the red light flashed? It was that close — frame-by-frame, finger-by-finger close. Social media instantly split down battle lines, with fans seeing whatever outcome fit their colors.
After several breathless minutes, the decision was in: Bucket counts. Game over. Nuggets win.
History in the Making: The NBA’s First Walk-Off Dunk
Gordon’s dunk didn’t just steal a game — it made history. Never before in NBA playoff history had a game been won by a buzzer-beating dunk.
The Nuggets have leaned on Jokic and Jamal Murray for countless big moments over the years, but this was Gordon’s night. Through pain, through pressure, through pure adrenaline, he delivered the most improbable hero moment Denver fans could imagine.
And after years of doing the dirty work — defense, rebounding, hustle — Gordon finally got his signature moment.
A Game That Had It All
This was a game that felt like a full season crammed into four quarters: Jokic putting up a ridiculous 36 points, 21 rebounds, and 8 assists; a 20-point Denver lead disappearing like smoke; a Clippers surge that nearly snatched the win.
And then… that dunk.
As Nuggets assistant coach David Adelman said with a grin afterward:
“That’s going to be on NBA TV one day. I’m just glad we’re the ones smiling about it.”
What’s Next?
With the series tied and momentum now swinging back toward Denver, the mission is clear: finish the job. Win two more games. Keep the dream alive.
But no matter how this series ends, Aaron Gordon’s skywalk to glory will live forever — a reminder that sometimes, history isn’t written at the three-point line.
Sometimes, it’s hammered home at the rim.
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