The smile one sees when they search the dictionary for the word “clutch” might vary from season-to-season, but if the topic is strictly the 2025 NBA Playoffs, there’s likely a version out there with Aaron Gordon’s headband-wearing face off to the side. A mere nine days removed from recording NBA history’s first-ever game-winning postseason dunk, Gordon unleashes his late-game superpower once more, racing the floor with the Denver Nuggets one bucket shy of a Game One upset of the West’s No. 1 seed. Leaving 18,203 with hands clasped above their heads — as if helplessly watching a nightmare unfold in slow motion — Gordon buries a 3-pointer from the left slot, securing a seemingly-impossible victory in the West Semis series-opener. At the 3:02 mark, Denver, trailing by nine, had just a 3.7 win probability, only to be rescued by superior crunchtime execution and, of course, Gordon’s almost-guaranteed greatness in must-have moments. A career-best 43.6 percent from deep in 2024-25, Gordon rept rewards of preparation once more, starring through a 22-point, 14-rebound, three-triple showcase, stamping himself as a must-know name throughout this spring’s postseason. · May 6, 2025