On a Nuggets road trip full of unforgettable moments and sequences, the start of the fourth quarter in Portland won’t be remembered.

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

The result invalidated it. This also applied to the surrounding games. While the Nuggets lost at the final whistle in Portland, they actually ended their dramatic rallies in Sacramento and New Orleans. Who will remember an almost-but-not-quite 17-point comeback if it is followed by a successful 17-point comeback three days later?

Michael Malone.

Stability is a rare commodity when Jokic is resting. Denver’s 10th-year coach recognizes the importance of pushing through whatever works in those minutes until it doesn’t.

DeAndre Jordan is currently working.

“We’ve sort of settled into our backup five at the moment 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 plays well for us and tries to make the boys more and more comfortable so that the chemistry on the pitch is right. But I think if this group can go out there and hold their own defensively and execute offensively — even if we don’t score goals, just make good shots (and don’t turn the ball over) — then we’ll give ourselves a chance.”

Saric was inactive for five games due to a sprained ankle earlier this month, but was allowed to play in both games of Denver’s most recent meeting against the Pelicans and Suns. Malone still stuck to the “if it ain’t broke” philosophy, and Jordan’s lineups continued to make a winning impression. In the Nuggets’ 5-1 win before their Christmas clash against Phoenix, their net rating was 8.6 with the 36-year-old on the field.

He grabbed five rebounds in five minutes during Portland’s run. During a fourth-quarter run in New Orleans, he capped a key 6-point possession with a dunk.

“I feel like we’re just starting to find our identity a little bit, which is we’re going to go out and play hard and try to get stops and run and get the defense involved,” Jordan told The Post. “Try to mix it up a little. And our job is to approach it honestly and stay in the lead. Or reduce deficits. Some nights will be different, but I feel like we’re starting to find a rhythm.”

The staff in Jordan was diverse. Jamal Murray, back on the bench most nights, has found harmony alongside Russell Westbrook. But Murray was sidelined Monday with an ankle sprain, leading to Westbrook playing most of his minutes in the starting lineup and Jalen Pickett sliding to the second unit. For the second time in as many appearances for Pickett, he managed to hit Jordan with a lob.