Struggling Nuggets will be without Gary Harris in rematch against Thunder

OKLAHOMA CITY — Gary Harris will miss a seventh straight game when the Denver Nuggets conclude their longest road trip of the season Friday against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Harris, who leads Denver in minutes (34.8 mpg) and is second in scoring average (17.7 ppg), is still recovering after coming down awkwardly in a March 17 game against the Detroit Pistons. Harris was diagnosed with a right knee sprain. It was tough timing as Denver was about to embark on a seven-game road swing.

So far, the Nuggets have gone 2-4 without Harris. They lost to the 76ers on Monday and the Raptors on Tuesday. They held a second-half lead in both games but couldn’t hang on.

The Nuggets are in 10th place in the Western Conference with seven games left in their season. They’re two games behind the eighth-seeded Utah Jazz. FiveThirtyEight is giving Denver a 12 percent chance to make the postseason.

On Friday, Denver faces the Thunder for the first time since its dramatic Feb. 1 win. Harris hit a buzzer beater three in that game. He celebrated by sprinting off the court while the Pepsi Center went nuts.

The Nuggets return home to play the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. Six of their final seven games of the season are against teams in line to make the playoffs.