Gordon had his best game for the Nuggets with 24 points in a 119-109 win over his former team on Sunday. Six of his 10 baskets came on assists from Nikola Jokic, who had 16 assists as Denver erased Orlando’s 18-point lead at halftime.
“It looks like a great fit,” Gordon said. “As long as Jokic has been in the league, he’s been fading. Make cuts, play the game, he finds me. I hope I make it easier for him. I hope I can return the favor to you. “
Victor Oladipo was the biggest acquisition for Miami in a trade with Houston, while Nemanja Bjelica was also picked up on Sacramento’s trading deadline. Trevor Ariza came a week earlier in a substandard deal with Oklahoma City.
Oladipo didn’t play the first two games after joining the Heat and is just 5 of 21 off the pitch in the pair he played. Miami, however, is 4-0 with the double All-Star on the roster.
“All of these things, there will be a little process,” said coach Eric Spoelstra. “And let’s not forget that he has moved to another city. There have been a lot of different changes in the protocols and then, boom, just playing games, it will take time. But you can just see how much it adds to what we’re already doing on the defensive end. It fits perfectly.
Evan Fournier, the third hunk in the Orlando fire sale, started off slowly with Boston in a pair of losses before scoring 23 points in a win over Houston. The Celtics are in the race for one of the last playoff spots in the East after losing to Miami in the conference final in the playoff bubble last year.
