The shorthanded Denver Nuggets continued their Nikola Jokic-less stretch tonight, taking on the Milwaukee Bucks on national TV as part of the AWS Rivals Week. Unfortunately, things seem to have gotten worse, with forward Aaron Gordon exiting the game with no warning at halftime. Here’s what happened to him.

Why Did Aaron Gordon Leave the Game? What Injury Did He Suffer?

With about 30 seconds left in the second quarter, Gordon grabbed a rebound and drove the ball up the floor against Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma, before suddenly grabbing the back of his right thigh, passing the ball to a teammate.

As soon as the halftime break occurred, the forward left for the locker room, but never came back. The team announced that he was questionable to return, citing his hamstring, before ruling him out entirely. He was replaced in the second half starting lineup by DaRon Holmes II.

He previously missed over a month due to a strained right hamstring, and the team will monitor his status carefully.

How Did Aaron Gordon Perform Before Leaving?

Gordon had performed very well in his limited minutes on the court. He logged 13 points, the Nuggets‘ leading scorer at halftime, along with six rebounds and three assists as well as two steals. He also leads the team in plus/minus even with +12.

Gordon is having the best scoring season of his career, despite all of his injury related absences. He’s averaging 17.9 points per game on 51.1% from the field and 39.8% from three, adding 6.2 rebounds and 2.5 assists. He’s also solidified himself as a dead-eye shooter, which has unlocked new dynamics with superstar Nikola Jokic.

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How Did the Denver Nuggets Adjust Without Gordon?

DaRon Holmes II briefly replaced Gordon in the second half starters, filling spot minutes. However, the player that truly shined was Julian Strawther, who stepped up in a big way. The guard blew up in the third quarter, scoring 16 of his team-high 20 points, while also adding five rebounds, three assists, and a steal on top by the final buzzer.

Reserve sharpshooter Tim Hardaway Jr. also came alive in the second quarter, logging 15 of his 17 points in Gordon’s absence, including two free throws to gain a 4-point cushion with 10 seconds left that the Bucks never overcame, despite Ryan Rollins’ clutch three pointer with about 6 seconds left.

Gordon rejoined the team this month against the Brooklyn Nets, before which he had been missing since being injured against the Houston Rockets in November. Now, as it increasingly looks like his current injury is a reaggravation of the previous one, things are looking dire for the Nuggets.

Apart from the man known as Mr. Nugget and former MVP Jokic, the team is also missing offseason addition Cam Johnson as well as young guard Christian Braun, who is expected to return to the team some time soon.

With Jamal Murray periodically sitting out, only time will tell if the Nuggets can maintain their #3 seed in a tough Western Conference, with the Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers following close behind, just 2.5 and 3.5 games back each.