On the wish list: Qualifying as the sixth seed, getting Danilo Gallinari on track and continuing to improve defensively.

Sunday’s 101-74 win over Orlando at the Pepsi Center was a start.

“We feel like we are getting better every game,” Nuggets center JaVale McGee said.

The victory not only strengthened the Nuggets’ case to stay in sixth, where they currently reside in the Western Conference, but they control their own destiny in keeping it. The Nuggets are a half-game ahead of the Mavericks, who have one game remaining and are one-game worse in the loss column.

But to get there, the Nuggets must win both of their remaining games or win one while Dallas loses Thursday at Atlanta. And while Oklahoma City is next-for the Nuggets on Wednesday night, that might not be as challenging as it appears.

Here’s why: The Spurs are one win away from clinching the top seed in the West, which would lock the Thunder into the second seed. That can happen as early as today as San Antonio faces Portland.

Meanwhile, Denver’s gameagainst OKC on Wednesday is the Thunder’s regular-season finale. With its fate already decided, Oklahoma City could be expected to either rest or play stars like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook sparingly, allowing the Nuggets to take full advantage.

Sunday’s victory capped off another win-win on a back-to-back set. They did the same a week ago, taking back-to-back games from Houston last Sunday and Monday; and the Nuggets will get a chance to make it three-for-three — after Wednesday’s game they play at Minnesota on Thursday.

“We’re getting it together,” forward Corey Brewer said. “We had a lot of injuries all year. We’re finally getting our whole team — without Wilson (Chandler) — but we’re gelling, and that’s a good thing.”

The win was powered by Gallinari, who took an important step in getting himself into a good rhythm for the playoffs. The Nuggets looked for him early, and he delivered, hitting four of his first six shots in the first quarter for nine quick points.

Gallinari, who continues to battle through a fractured thumb, finished with 17 points.

Defensively, the Nuggets had all kinds of problems stopping the ultra-versatile Ryan Anderson, who scores from the paint to the arc. A leading candidate for NBA’s most improved player, Anderson scored 24 points.

Otherwise, the Nuggets’ defense was pretty good, holding the Magic to 30 points — in the entire second half.

The Magic’s 74 points were the fewest points allowed by the Nuggets in a game since Feb. 11, 2009, when, coincidentally, they beat Orlando 82-73.

Arron Afflalo was solid again for the Nuggets, as he has been for nearly all of April, finishing with 15 points as the team shot 56.4 percent from the field. McGee caught one lob pass after another in the second half and dunked his way to 17 points with eight rebounds.

Afflalo said the team is “getting better. Even the (L.A.) Clipper loss show we did some positive things. I think we’re getting better overall and hopefully it carries on to the playoffs.”

Nuggets 101, Magic 74

ORLANDO (74)

J.Richardson 4-13 0-0 9, Anderson 9-18 3-3 24, Davis 4-8 6-6 14, Nelson 0-0 0-0 0, Redick 4-11 0-0 9, Smith 3-9 0-0 6, Q.Richardson 0-3 0-0 0, Orton 1-3 0-2 2, Wafer 2-5 3-4 7, Duhon 1-4 0-0 3, Harper 0-0 0-0 0, Liggins 0-1 0-2 0. Totals 28-75 12-17 74.

DENVER (101)

Gallinari 6-12 2-2 17, Faried 5-8 1-2 11, Koufos 4-5 0-0 8, Lawson 5-10 2-2 13, Afflalo 7-10 1-1 15, McGee 8-11 1-3 17, Brewer 3-7 1-1 8, Miller 3-10 0-0 6, Mozgov 1-2 0-0 2, Hamilton 2-3 0-0 4, Stone 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 44-78 8-11 101.

Orlando 19 25 18 12 — 74

Denver 24 20 29 28 — 101

3-Point Goals – Orlando 6-23 (Anderson 3-9, J.Richardson 1-4, Duhon 1-4, Redick 1-4, Q.Richardson 0-2), Denver 5-15 (Gallinari 3-6, Lawson 1-2, Brewer 1-4, Hamilton 0-1, Afflalo 0-2). Fouled Out – None. Rebounds – Orlando 39 (Anderson 9), Denver 50 (Faried 10). Assists — Orlando 19 (Wafer, J.Richardson 4), Denver 32 (Miller 11). Total Fouls – Orlando 16, Denver 18. Technicals — Davis. A — 19,155 (19,155).

In an air-tight final minute Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, with playoff positions hanging in the balance, Martin made a tough tip-in and then blocked a shot for the Clippers, who escaped Denver with a 104-98 win over the Nuggets that was closer than the score suggests.

The former Denver power forward, who wasn’t offered a contract extension and ultimately signed with the Clippers, tipped in a missed jumper with 27.1 seconds left, giving L.A. a 98-96 lead.

Then, on the other end, he swatted Ty Lawson’s layup into the hands of a Clippers teammate with 19.9 seconds left.

Everybody made their free throws and the Clips sped out of town with a W in their luggage.

“It’s about winning basketball. Never quit playing no matter what the situation is,” Martin said. “And that was my only rebound tonight, so it was perfect timing.”

Said Nuggets guard Arron Afflalo: “You hate to single out a play as to why you lose an entire basketball game, but the (tip-in) and the block were huge. He made some big plays down the stretch. It was a close game, but they made the necessary plays down the stretch to win it.”

The Nuggets entered the night 34-27, half a game up in the No. 6 slot in the Western Conference, while the Clippers entered the night just half a game back of the No. 3 slot.

Denver (34-28) has only four games left in this season — Saturday at Phoenix, Sunday against Orlando, next Wednesday at Oklahoma Cityand next Thursday at Minnesota.

“It’s not going to be given to us,” Denver coach George Karl said.

The Nuggets had a chance to cut L.A.’s lead to one in the final 10 seconds, but Danilo Gallinari clanked a 3 and the Clippers (39-23) scored on the other end at the buzzer.

Gallinari continued to search for his shooting touch since returning from his thumb injury. In the previous three games he shot 2-for-9, 4-for-8 and then 3-for-9. And then he was 0-for-Wednesday.

Gallo was 0-for-7 from the field in 28 minutes, finishing with four points (well below his 14.8 average).

The Nuggets’ Ty Lawson, the elusive floor general, entered the night averaging 17.6 points in the previous five games. He scored nine quick points in the first quarter and finished the evening with 24 points.

He made a couple of key third-quarter jumpers and free throws, but couldn’t carry Denver over the hump.

Before the game, Karl gushed about Chris Paul, the Clippers’ all-star point guard, saying Paul should be first-team all-NBA and that Paul is basketball’s best fourth-quarter player.

Well, the little guy put up sturdy numbers in all quarters Wednesday, finishing with 21 points and eight assists for Los Angeles, navigating the fourth quarter with a veteran’s savvy.

It’s still mathematically possible that the Nuggets and Clippers could reunite in the postseason and if so, it would likely lead to some testy, intense play.

The previous matchups have featured numerous hard fouls and Wednesday was no exception, bodies flying all over the hardwood.

Clippers 104, Nuggets 98

L.A. CLIPPERS (104)

Butler 5-10 0-0 14, Griffin 5-12 2-6 12, Jordan 2-2 0-0 4, Paul 8-19 4-5 21, Foye 4-9 2-2 12, Williams 6-11 3-3 19, Martin 2-5 3-4 7, Young 5-8 0-0 13, Simmons 0-1 0-0 0, Bledsoe 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 38-78 14-20 104.

DENVER (98)

Gallinari 0-7 4-4 4, Faried 4-6 4-7 12, Koufos 5-6 2-2 12, Lawson 9-14 4-5 24, Afflalo 5-11 1-2 12, Harrington 4-12 4-4 14, Miller 5-10 2-2 12, McGee 3-4 0-0 6, Brewer 1-3 0-0 2. Totals 36-73 21-26 98.

L.A. Clippers 22 25 29 28–104

Denver 34 19 23 22– 98

3-Point Goals–L.A. Clippers 14-24 (Butler 4-5, Williams 4-7, Young 3-4, Foye 2-3, Paul 1-3, Simmons 0-1, Martin 0-1), Denver 5-18 (Lawson 2-3, Harrington 2-5, Afflalo 1-3, Brewer 0-1, Miller 0-2, Gallinari 0-4). Fouled Out–None. Rebounds–L.A. Clippers 41 (Jordan 9), Denver 47 (Koufos 9). Assists–L.A. Clippers 21 (Paul 8), Denver 19 (Miller 8). Total Fouls–L.A. Clippers 28, Denver 21. Technicals–Jordan, Faried, Miller. A–17,219 (19,155).