Aaron Gordon’s historic buzzer-beating dunk propels Denver Nuggets to victory over Los Angeles Clippers, ties series 2-2

CNN - Apr 27th, 2025
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In a historic NBA playoff moment, Aaron Gordon achieved a dramatic buzzer-beating dunk, sealing the Denver Nuggets' victory over the Los Angeles Clippers with a narrow 101-99 win. The climactic finish came after Nikola Jokić's airball, which seemed to be sending the game into overtime. However, Gordon's quick reaction and slam with just 0.1 seconds left made NBA history as the first game-winning, buzzer-beating dunk in the playoffs since the detailed play-by-play era began in 1997-98. His crucial play tied the series 2-2, prompting wild celebrations from the Nuggets and disbelief from the Clippers' fans.

The game was filled with intensity, highlighted by a skirmish in the second quarter that involved players like James Harden and Christian Braun. Despite the Clippers' efforts in the fourth quarter, with Kawhi Leonard providing a strong performance, the Nuggets held firm, thanks to key contributions from Jokić and Gordon. Jokić's impressive stats for the night included 36 points, 21 rebounds, and eight assists, placing him among elite company in NBA playoff history. The series now heads back to Denver for Game 5, while in other NBA news, the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a sweep of the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Golden State Warriors took the lead against the Houston Rockets.

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RATING

6.0
Moderately Fair
Read with skepticism

The article provides an engaging account of a historic NBA playoff game, highlighting Aaron Gordon's buzzer-beating dunk and the Denver Nuggets' victory. It captures the excitement of the event and presents information in a clear and accessible manner. However, the lack of explicit source attribution and transparency regarding information gathering detracts from its overall reliability. The narrative focuses heavily on the Nuggets' perspective, which may lead to an imbalance in viewpoint representation. Despite these limitations, the article remains timely and relevant, appealing to sports fans interested in the NBA playoffs and notable athletic achievements.

RATING DETAILS

7
Accuracy

The article presents several factual claims that align with available data, such as the Denver Nuggets' victory over the Los Angeles Clippers with a final score of 101-99 and Aaron Gordon's historic buzzer-beating dunk. However, some details require further verification, such as the exact time remaining when Gordon made the dunk described as 0.1 seconds. Additionally, the claim about technical fouls involving six players lacks corroboration from the sources. The story accurately captures Nikola Jokic's performance and statistics, corroborated by external reports. However, the article's mention of other NBA games, such as the Warriors vs. Rockets, lacks source verification and appears tangential to the primary narrative.

6
Balance

The article predominantly focuses on the Denver Nuggets' perspective, particularly highlighting Aaron Gordon's and Nikola Jokic's contributions. While it briefly mentions the Clippers' efforts, notably Kawhi Leonard's performance, the narrative leans towards celebrating the Nuggets' achievements. This focus might underrepresent the Clippers' side of the story, including their comeback and final quarter performance. The inclusion of other NBA game summaries seems to dilute the focus on the main event, potentially overshadowing the Clippers' perspective in the primary narrative.

8
Clarity

The article is generally clear and well-structured, with a logical flow that guides the reader through the events of the game. The language is straightforward, and the narrative effectively captures the excitement of the game, particularly the dramatic ending. However, the inclusion of unrelated NBA game summaries towards the end may confuse readers about the article's primary focus. Overall, the article maintains a neutral tone and presents information in an accessible manner.

5
Source quality

The article does not explicitly cite its sources, which raises questions about the reliability of the information presented. While the narrative aligns with common knowledge about NBA games and player performances, the lack of direct attribution to credible sources like official NBA statistics or reputable sports news outlets limits the ability to fully assess the credibility of the claims. The article would benefit from citing specific sources to enhance its authority and reliability.

4
Transparency

The article lacks transparency regarding its sources and methodology. It does not disclose how the information was gathered or verified, which could impact the reader's trust in the content. The absence of explicit source attribution or explanation of how specific claims were derived leaves readers without a clear understanding of the basis for the article's assertions. Transparency could be improved by providing links to primary sources or explaining the process behind the reported facts.

Sources

  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3BvXjhWOdpY
  2. https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/44876072/aaron-gordon-saves-nuggets-buzzer-beating-dunk-game-4
  3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mPGrUF3ikc
  4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJOPi-0lQug