“Aaron Gordon needs to be involved, but not like that!”: Richard Jefferson was left ruing his own words after the Nuggets star fouled Booker in Game 3

Aaron Gordon let down fellow former Arizona Wildcat Richard Jefferson last night. Gordon committed a foul at just the wrong time for RJ.

Aaron Gordon and his Denver Nuggets needed to put their best foot forward in Game 3 against Phoenix yesterday. However, both Gordon and his team came a cropper against a Suns team that looks Finals-bound in its current form.

Chris Paul was on one yet again yesterday, dropping 27 points and 8 dimes on the night. Devin Booker had 28 of his own on 11-of-23 shooting from the floor. Booker also dished out 4 assists of his own.

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Nikola Jokic put in a captain and an MVP’s performance, becoming only the 3rd player after Wilt and Kareem to have a 30-20-10 statline in a playoff game.

That his team fell several possessions short on the night serves only to show their overreliance on him in Jamal Murray’s absence. They’d definitely not be in a 3-0 hole with Murray playing at his usual level from the guard position.

Richard Jefferson compliments Aaron Gordon, instantly regrets it

The Nuggets were surprisingly down only 4 points at halftime despite a terrible all-round shooting night. They needed to push on offensively from that point, meaning that the likes of Aaron Gordon would have to pull their weight.

Richard Jefferson and Ryan Ruocco in the ESPN announcers’ booth discussed the same early in the 3rd quarter.

Ryan Ruocco: Aaron Gordon has missed all of his shots this evening. He’s now 0 for 6 from the floor.

RJ: Yeah, you can’t get Monte Morris going or Michael Porter Jr, you’re shorthanded, you need to find a way to get yourself involved.

Precisely at this point, Gordon wound up getting a foul called on himself on the Nuggets’ defensive possession. It also meant that Devin Booker was going to the line off yet another foul born of indiscipline. Naturally, RJ was indignant.

Ryan Ruocco: And he did, by fouling [Devin] Booker.

RJ: No, that’s not what I meant, Ryan

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