It’s DeAndre Jordan right now

On a Nuggets road trip packed with memorable moments and sequences, one that won’t be remembered is the start of the fourth quarter in Portland.

Trailing 104-87 when Nikola Jokic went to the bench, Denver’s second unit suddenly turned in its best effort of the season — a 16-2 run fueled by resurgent defense and steady rebounding.

The result made it invalid. So did the surrounding games. While the Nuggets ended up losing at the buzzer in Portland, they actually pulled off dramatic rallies in Sacramento and New Orleans. Who’s going to remember an almost-but-not-quite 17-point comeback when it’s followed by a successful 17-point comeback three days later?

Michael Malone.

Stability is a rare commodity when Jokic rests. Denver’s 10th-year coach recognizes the importance of riding out what works in those minutes until it doesn’t anymore.

DeAndre Jordan is working these days.

“We’ve kind of settled into our backup five right now with DJ, so I think that helps. You know. ‘Is it Dario (Saric)? Is it Zeke (Nnaji)? Is it DJ? ‘ Right now it’s DeAndre Jordan,” Malone said Monday.

“And he’s playing well for us and trying to get those guys more and more comfortable creating that chemistry on the field. But I think if that group can go out there and hold their own defensively and execute offensively — even if we don’t scoring, just generating good shots (and) not turning the ball over – now we give ourselves a chance.”

Saric was inactive with a sprained ankle for five games earlier this month, but was cleared to play in both games of Denver’s recent back-to-back against the Pelicans and Suns. Malone stuck to the “if it ain’t broke” philosophy anyway, and Jordan’s lineups continued to make a winning impact. During the Nuggets’ 5-1 stretch heading into their Christmas showdown with Phoenix, their net rating was 8.6 with the 36-year-old on the floor.

He grabbed five rebounds in five minutes during the run in Portland. He capped a key 6-point possession with a dunk during a fourth-quarter drive in New Orleans.

“I feel like we’re just starting to find our identity a little bit, which is coming out there and playing hard and trying to stop and run and put defense into the game,” Jordan told The Post. “Try to mess it up a little bit. And our job is honestly to come out there and hold the lead. Or cut into the deficit. Some nights are going to be different, but I feel like we’re starting to catch a rhythm a little bit.”

The staff around Jordan has varied. Jamal Murray, who is back to teetering on the bench most nights, has found harmony next to Russell Westbrook. But Murray was out with his own sprained ankle on Monday, prompting Westbrook to play most of his minutes with the starting lineup and Jalen Pickett to slide into the second unit. For the second time in as many outings for Pickett, he was able to connect with Jordan on a lob.