Aaron Gordon made his return from a hamstring injury that kept him sidelined for over a month on Friday against the New York Knicks, but his first game back didn't go the way he or the Denver Nuggets would have liked. 

Denver was demolished 142-103 against New York, finishing the first quarter with a lead, then never seeing it again as the Knicks surged ahead and never looked back. 

OG Anunoby led the Knicks with a huge 34-point performance while Nikola Jokic carried the Nuggets with a game-leading 38-point performance, but beyond Jokic's effort, there wasn't much other involvement from the Denver supporting cast.

Gordon in particular had a quiet game. The typically productive forward had just three points on 1-7 shooting from the field along with three rebounds and three assists in a restricted 21 minutes.

For Gordon, who has had a number of injuries this season that have kept him off the court for weeks at a time, it would be natural to afford him some time to get his bearings and shake off the rust. 

However, no matter the circumstances, having such a low-tempo performance in a blowout for the Nuggets, who are in the thick of a playoff race and seeing their position in the Western Conference slip away more and more by the day, Friday's game would certainly be demoralizing. 

However, Gordon is staying mentally strong and focusing on the day-by-day steps that he needs to take to get back to top form as a player and help the Nuggets get to that same place as a team. 

"My mentality never wavers," Gordon said (via Nuggets). "[I] just focus on the process, continue to play the right way, be aggressive and look for my spots, try to stay involved and be assertive."

The Nuggets will need Gordon to be back ay full strength as soon as possible. There's been no shortage of injuries for the Nuggets this season, with Jamal Murray looking like the newest victim after suffering an ankle injury scare during the game, but missing Gordon has been one of their most impactful losses. 

Not only does he bring much-needed size to the court, but his versatility as a player on both ends provides so much value to the Nuggets. He can score well in his own right, defend on the interior or function as a playmaker whenever the Nuggets need him. 

The Nuggets need to bring everything they have to their final games of the season to keep their playoff hopes alive, and Gordon will need to be a huge part of that effort.