Aaron Gordon to return for Nuggets at Jazz

Injured star Aaron Gordon, who has played just 23 games this season due to injuries, is expected to be back for the Denver Nuggets in the Utah Jazz game, international media reported on Monday.

Gordon has been absent from 15 straight games because of a hamstring strain and also missed Denver's 117-108 loss to Minnesota on Sunday.

Aaron Gordon's return might be an encouraging sign for the Nuggets, who have lost two straight games and have one win in their last four road contests.

Nikola Jokic also went close to joining him on the sidelines on Friday after being tripped by Lu Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder while jogging up the court.

Dort and Jokic were involved in a brief altercation before the former was given a flagrant-2 foul and sent off.

"Unnecessary move and a necessary reaction," Jokic told the Denver Post on Friday.

"There is no such thing -- I think there's not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. So it was just an unnecessary move (by Dort) and a necessary reaction by me."

Jokic looked good when he played against the Minnesota Timberwolves and showed no ill effects from the fall on Sunday.

The former NBA MVP contributed 35 points on 15-of-26 shooting, including 13 rebounds, nine assists, and two blocks. He has scored at least 30 points in four of his last five games and has had 12 or more rebounds in four consecutive contests.

Denver and Utah had played once previously this season, with the Nuggets securing a 135-112 victory after scoring the game's first 19 points.