Nuggets game day: This is it

The last time the Nuggets made the playoffs, Harlem Shake videos were making the rounds on the internet. It’s been nearly five years since Dwyane Wade danced with the Graduation bear head on and Denver qualified for the postseason, which in internet time might as well be 500.

As long ago as that seems, consider this: The last time the Minnesota Timberwolves made the playoffs, there wasn’t even a YouTube to upload those corny videos onto. The Timberwolves made a run to the Western Conference Finals in 2004, a high point in the Kevin Garnett era that they would never come close to reaching again.

On Wednesday, either the Nuggets’ four-season or the Timberwolves’ 13-season playoff drought will officially come to an end. They face each other in game No. 82 of the regular season in Minneapolis (6 p.m., Altitude). Winner advances to the playoffs. Loser goes home for the rest of the summer.

“If we have to score 134 like we did in L.A. to win, so be it. If we score 88 and have great defense like we did tonight, so be it,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said Monday after his team’s 88-82 win over Portland. “Whatever it takes to get the win. Right now it’s by any means necessary, and we’ve done that six games in a row against really quality opponents. So we feel really good about that, but again we can’t come up for air, we can’t celebrate because this season’s not over. We have one hell of a challenge against a team we just beat here.”

Denver has figured out how to win ugly games during its six-game win streak. It beat Minnesota on Thursday despite shooting 39.3 percent from the floor and then defeated Portland when it shot 37.3 percent overall. The Nuggets are allowing a stingy 101.5 points per 100 possessions over their last four games, the seventh-best mark in basketball.

Jimmy Butler didn’t play in Denver and Minnesota’s meeting last week. He was active but never got into the game. He’s been back in the Timberwolves’ starting lineup in their last two games.

The Nuggets will also be a little closer to full strength than they were a week ago. Gary Harris returned Monday after missing 11 games with a right knee sprain. He came off the bench to score 12 points in 18 minutes. It’s unclear if he’ll be back on the starting lineup, but it’s hard to envision Malone messing with a group that’s played so well lately.

“Get a win. Control your own destiny. Be a playoff team,” Malone said. “That’s all we have on our minds right now.”

Nuggets Projected Starters

Jamal Murray, Will Barton, Wilson Chandler, Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic

Timberwolves Projected Starters

Jeff Teague, Jimmy Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Taj Gibson, Karl-Anthony Towns