Gordon is remaining confident.
The Denver Nuggets are staring down the barrel of elimination after dropping Game 4 to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 112-96, falling behind 3-1 in their first-round Western Conference series.
It was the second straight blowout loss for Denver, which also fell 113-96 in Game 3 at Target Center.
But even as the walls close in, forward Aaron Gordon is not ready to throw in the towel.
Speaking postgame after Saturday's defeat, Gordon shared his honest read on what he's seen from this Nuggets roster throughout the season and into these playoffs.
"Poised. Um, that's what I've seen from this group. Uh, winning mentality. Um, play to the final buzzer. So that's what I've seen and that's why I'm encouraged about what we can do and how we can come back."
Back-to-Back Blowouts Sting
The Nuggets entered the postseason as the third seed in the West after finishing 54-28, led by the league's best offense at a 121.2 rating.
Minnesota, the sixth seed, finished 49-33 and came in as a dangerous matchup given the teams' playoff history.
Denver won the regular-season series 3-1, including an overtime thriller on Christmas Day, and took Game 1 at home behind a dominant showing from Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, who combined for 55 points, 18 rebounds and 18 assists.
But the Timberwolves flipped the script after that, winning three straight with suffocating defense and an aggressive pace that has thrown Denver completely off its game.
In Game 3, Minnesota held the Nuggets to just 11 first-quarter points and outscored them 68-34 in the paint.
Game 4 wasn't much better, as Denver shot 24 percent in the second half and turned it over nine times after the break.
Why There's Still a Chance
History is working against Denver in a big way.
Only 4.4 percent of teams that have trailed 3-1 in a best-of-seven series have come back to win, which translates to roughly 13 out of 298 teams.
But Gordon has been through deep playoff runs before, and this roster has championship pedigree from 2023.
The biggest reason for hope is that Minnesota could be without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo moving forward after both left Game 4 with injuries.
DiVincenzo reportedly tore his left Achilles tendon and is done for the postseason, while the severity of Edwards' left knee hyperextension is still being evaluated.
Gordon's Grit Matters
Gordon himself is fighting through his own body, having missed Game 3 with calf tightness and then leaving Game 4 in the third quarter with an undisclosed issue before returning.
He's been limited to just 36 regular-season games because of hamstring problems, and his effectiveness in this series hasn't matched what he brings at full health.
Game 5 tips off Monday night at Ball Arena.
The odds are long, and the margin is gone, but Gordon's words at least tell the story of a group that believes in itself.
Whether that belief translates into wins is something Denver will have to prove starting Monday.