Gary Harris’ return date from injured knee unsure

MIAMI» Gary Harris walked out of Monday’s Nuggets shootaround in Miami with ice strapped to his right knee, following his latest round of treatment and rehab exercises during the team workout.

Denver’s leading scorer missed Monday’s matchup against the Heat because of a strain/sprain, but coach Michael Malone is still hopeful Harris can return “in the next couple of games.”

“Before you can start running, you’ve got to be able to walk,” Malone said. “For (Harris), obviously, Step 1 in his recovery is being able to walk without any kind of limitations. He’s getting there.”

Harris, who is averaging 17.7 points per game while shooting 48.6 percent from the floor and 39.9 percent from 3-point distance, has been lauded all season as Denver’s most consistent player. He suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Thursday’s win over Detroit and missed Saturday’s stunning loss at Memphis.

The Heat also were shorthanded Monday. Starting big man Hassan Whiteside, who averages 14.3 points and 11.8 rebounds per game, was out with hip pain. Dwayne Wade, who is averaging 13.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 12 games since being traded back to Miami, missed the game with a strained hamstring.

Struggles are “all-inclusive.”

Before the Nuggets’ Sunday flight to Miami, Malone made the rounds to every player he could catch. He spoke to second-year point guard Jamal Murray, who went 5-of-18 from the floor and committed two key fourth-quarter turnovers in Saturday’s loss at Memphis. The coach also had a conversation with Paul Millsap, who went 3-of-9 from the field against the Grizzlies and is still working his way back from wrist surgery.

Those conversations had two purposes: first, to keep players upbeat, as Denver entered Monday’s action 1.5 games behind Minnesota for the coveted eighth spot in the Western Conference and two games behind fifth-place Utah. But also “to find out what’s going on,” Malone said, after the Nuggets came out lethargic and fell behind by 21 points in Memphis before their rally came up short.

“Right now, it’s everybody,” Malone said. “It’s all-inclusive.”

Denver is in the midst of a season-long seven-game road trip, which continues Wednesday at Chicago before visits to Washington on Friday and Philadelphia on Sunday. The Nuggets entered Monday 11-22 away from home, the worst mark of any West playoff contender.