Aaron Gordon was a high school basketball get-out-of-jail-free card. His athleticism was stress medicine for trapped teammates. His dexterity, a mulligan for inaccurate passes. At Archbishop Mitty in the Bay Area,

The Denver Nuggets forced a Game 5 after beating the Los Angeles Clippers, capped by Aaron Gordon’s last-minute dunk off a brilliant assist from Nikola Jokic. After the game, Jokic shared a candid confession about the play.

But instead of being able to rest the starters with a comfortable lead, the Clippers came roaring back and tied the game. The Nuggets got the ball to Nikola Jokic, who took a Dirk