Malone handles injuries, lineups

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Northwest Division

WLPortland coach Terry Stotts had a funny pregame message for Nuggets coach Michael Malone as they spoke during warm-ups before Monday night’s matchup.

“I don’t know who you’re starting,” Stotts said.

That win over the Trail Blazers was the sixth consecutive game (and 18th overall) in which Denver deployed a different starting lineup. It nearly became seven in a row Thursday night against New York, before leading scorer Gary Harris was deemed available to play despite aggravating a bruised right foot originally suffered during last Friday’s loss to Phoenix. Harris started Thursday’s game alongside point guard Jamal Murray, small forward Will Barton, power forward Nikola Jokic and center Mason Plumlee.

Harris, who had his right foot in an ice bucket during pregame locker room availability Thursday, stepped on the foot of the Suns’ TJ Warren last Friday and then felt sore after chasing CJ McCollum around on defense during the win over the Trail Blazers.

Harris’ minor injury is just one the Nuggets are managing, prompting Malone to cancel a routine morning shootaround for the first time this season. Jokic, who wasn’t listed on Denver’s official injury report, and backup forward Kenneth Faried, who missed Monday’s game against Portland with left ankle soreness but was available to play Thursday, have missed time during recent practices.

“We have a lot of guys that, even if we had shootaround, wouldn’t be able to go through shootaround . ... We’re just trying to get our guys a little bit more rest,” Malone said.

Jokic “too reliant” on treys.

The most common starting group that Malone has gone with since late December pairs Jokic and Plumlee in the post, which has pushed Jokic out to the perimeter at times for a barrage of 3-pointers.

Entering Thursday’s matchup against the Knicks, Jokic was shooting only 26.7 percent behind the arc in January. Before the game, Malone said he believed Jokic was becoming “a little bit too reliant” on that 3-point shot.

“When that 3 is not going in,” Malone said, “you have to find other ways to get to the post, get to the foul line or shoot a midrange shot.”

Jokic was shooting 47 percent from the floor for the season, below his career average of 53 percent, and 33.3 percent from long range.