Gordon returns in victory over Mavs after 9-game absence

Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon returned Sunday in a 112-101 victory over the Dallas Mavericks after missing the past nine games with a calf strain.

Gordon contributed 13 points, six rebounds, two assists, and a block in 18 minutes of action. He was under a minutes restriction, according to The Denver Post's Bennett Durando.

Russell Westbrook led Denver with 21 points and 10 rebounds while Nikola Jokic added 19 points, 18 boards, and nine assists.

The Mavericks' Klay Thompson put up a game-high 25 points and splashed in six treys.

Gordon was averaging 13.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.1 assists this campaign heading into Sunday.

The 29-year-old also missed 10 contests in November due to the same injury. He's been sidelined for 20 total games this season, with the Nuggets going 12-8 without him in the lineup.

Denver turned to a smaller lineup while Gordon recovered, shifting Michael Porter Jr. down and starting Westbrook alongside Jamal Murray, Christian Braun, and Jokic. Westbrook averaged 15.4 points, 8.2 assists, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.6 steals as a starter prior to Sunday. He and Jokic became the first teammates to record a triple-double in the same game multiple times in a season.

The Nuggets rank fourth in the Western Conference with a 23-15 record.