Gary Harris' status upgraded ahead of pivotal matchup against Trail Blazers

The Denver Nuggets could be at full strength in a pivotal game against the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday at Pepsi Center. Gary Harris was upgraded from doubtful to questionable Monday morning, a sign that the always steady shooting guard could play after missing 11 games with a right knee strain.

Harris hurt his knee after landing awkwardly in a March 15 game against the Detroit Pistons. He didn’t suit up at all during a season-long seven-game road trip and in Denver’s four games since.

“I’m not sure when he’s going to be back,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Saturday before his team beat the Clippers in Los Angeles. “Obviously, this is I think game No. 11 maybe, I lost count. The best thing about it is the guys that are available to play are playing well and playing at a high level. So we’ll worry about Gary when he gets back if he gets back, but right now I’m not expecting Gary Harris back.”

Harris did some on-court work before the Clippers game. His return Monday would mean Denver gets its leader in minutes played (34.8 mpg) and second-leading scorer (17.7 ppg) back in the lineup.

The Nuggets have gone 7-4 without Harris. They’ve stayed in the playoff hunt despite losing one of their best players. Denver and Minnesota have identical 45-35 records, but Minnesota is ahead in the standings in the eighth spot because it owns the head-to-head tiebreaker. The Nuggets are guaranteed to go to the postseason if they win their last two games.