LOS ANGELES — Nuggets’ starting shooting guard Gary Harris has missed Denver’s last 10 games with a right knee sprain/strain that he suffered on March 15 against the Pistons. With just three regular-season games remaining, Nuggets coach Michael Malone isn’t expecting Harris to return before a potential first-round playoff series.
“I’m not sure when he’s going to be back. 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,” Malone said about Harris potentially returning for one of Denver’s final three regular season games. “We have to continue to find ways to win games and compete at a high level with the players that are available, and Gary’s not on that list right now. He’s working very hard. If that changes then we’ll be ready to adjust.”
Sixth man Will Barton has stepped into Harris’ starting spot and performed admirably over the past few weeks. Barton is averaging 17.3 points on 43.2 percent shooting from the field and 36.2 percent from three, 5.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game since Harris went out.
Paul Millsap, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have also elevated their play in Harris’ absence.
“Will Barton’s consistency and Paul Millsap getting a lot more comfortable and confident. The emergence of those two players have allowed us to kind of handle those 18 points a night that Gary Harris, who was our leading scorer, is not bringing to the table right now because of the injury to his knee,” Malone said.
Millsap is averaging 17.3 points in his last 10 games and has scored at least 20 points in two of his last five outings. Murray is averaging 20.3 points per game this month — his highest average in a month this season — while Jokic turned in an All-NBA worthy March.
Harris could return for the playoffs, which begin in eight days. The Nuggets enter Saturday’s matchup against the Clippers a 1/2 game back of Timberwolves for the eighth playoff spot in the West. The Nuggets trail the Timberwolves 2-1 in the head-to-head tiebreaker but could even the season series on the last day of the regular season in Minnesota.
