Aaron Gordon’s frustration became a bigger story than his performance against the Golden State Warriors. The Denver Nuggets forward managed only seven points before the officials sent him off in the fourth quarter. Last season, Stephen Curry praised the 31-year-old for his performance, but on Monday he wasted little time trolling his rival.
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The turning point came with 8:34 remaining. Golden State had built a 107-91 lead when referee Tre Maddox and the officiating crew called Christian Braun for an illegal screen on Curry. Gordon took exception to the decision. His protest earned him a technical foul, but he wasn’t ready to let the matter go.
The Nuggets star continued arguing and gave the referees another reason to penalize him. When Gordon received his second technical, Stephen Curry raised his arm and pointed toward the departing forward. The clip went viral on X. He then mimicked the motion associated with an ejection, turning the incident into a moment of on-court trolling.
The broadcast crew highlighted how the forward’s actions contributed to the ejection.
“And then look at straight Tre Maddox in the middle of this; it’s the pointing. That’s where when you point out the ref and do that, it’s almost like showing up a little bit. You know, that’s where you can get that second T.”
Gordon’s second technical came at a particularly bad time for Denver. The ejection followed a frustrating stretch for the 31-year-old forward. He made only two of his 10 field-goal attempts and scored seven points. He never found a consistent offensive rhythm, and his early exit only added to Denver’s problems.
His performance made the contrast even sharper. Stephen Curry finished with 24 points in 26 minutes without missing a shot, shooting a perfect 8-of-8 from the field. The four-time NBA champion also knocked down all three of his attempts from beyond the arc and converted five free throws without a miss. Gordon hasn’t always struggled against Curry and the Warriors.
Last season, in October, Gordon delivered one of the most explosive scoring performances of his career, pouring in 50 points against Golden State. He connected on 10 of his 11 three-point attempts, matching an NBA opening-night record and giving the Nuggets a spectacular offensive performance. Stephen Curry had an answer of his own.
The Warriors guard finished with 42 points and seven assists, scoring 22 points in the fourth quarter and overtime combined. His late-game heroics helped Golden State escape with a thrilling 137-131 overtime victory. Despite losing the contest, Aaron Gordon earned plenty of respect for his shooting display.
“Whatever he did this summer, it worked,” Curry said of Gordon’s performance. And even called it “ridiculous.” This time, their latest meeting offered a different kind of highlight. Gordon couldn’t find his shooting touch, and his frustration with the officials overshadowed his contribution. Stephen Curry needed no such rescue.
Gordon has already shown he can give Golden State serious problems when his offense catches fire. This time, though, the shots didn’t fall, the argument escalated, and the officials ended his night early.
The Warriors finally got their first win of the season, improving to 1-3, while Denver slipped to 1-2. Golden State took full advantage of the Nuggets’ defensive lapses, launching 44 shots from beyond the arc. Yaxel Lendeborg converted just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc but had a game-high 31 points.
Brandin Podziemski dropped 18, and Al Horford was 3-for-3 from the three-point range with his 11 points. Denver also dealt with several absences, as Cam Johnson and Alpha Diallo missed their second straight games, while Spencer Jones and Julian Strawther have yet to make their season debuts.
Aaron Gordon’s fourth-quarter ejection added to the Nuggets’ problems, leaving them short-handed at a crucial point in the game.