Oh-nine. That’s always the reference point. Chauncey and Melo, Kenyon and J.R. When talking about the modern-era Nuggets, the ’09 Nuggets are the benchmark, because that squad made it to the Western Conference Finals, the only team to make it out of the first round since Denver drafted Carmelo Anthony in 2003.

Well, that team won 54 games. So has this one — with four games to go.

The short-handed Nuggets slapped around the short-handed Spurs on Wednesday night, 96-86, giving Denver (54-24) its 21st consecutive win at Pepsi Center, the longest home winning streak in team history. The win ties the 2008-09 and 1987-88 team with most wins in Nuggets’ NBA history, and the 36th home victory ties the ABA Nuggets from 1976-77 for most home wins in franchise history.

Yes, Danilo Gallinari (knee) is out for the season. And Ty Lawson (heel), who should return before the playoffs, likely won’t be 100 percent for the postseason. But there is just so much to like about this Denver team, especially in the friendly confines of altitude.

Now, Wednesday’s win was cool and all, but the first half was about as exciting as watching the Avalanche. Both teams shot 36 percent from the field, and the halftime score was 38-37 in the home team’s favor.

This after the Spurs (57-21) opened up the game 14-0, and the Pepsi Center crowd, which stands until Denver’s first point, stayed on its feet until the 6:42 mark of the first.

But the Nuggets, led by Wilson Chandler (29) and Corey Brewer (28) erupted in the third quarter, and when Chandler and JaVale McGee each blocked a Tim Duncan shot on a late-third possession, and Chandler two-handed slammed on the other end, Denver led 69-61. Soon, it was 82-63.

And Andre Iguodala, who flirts with triple-doubles like a Chi Omega would a Sigma Nu, finally notched one, finishing with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

Meanwhile, the Lawson injury looms. The point guard missed his fourth consecutive game, though he did participate in shootaround. The Nuggets play next Friday at the Dallas Mavericks, with just three games after that before the postseason. Coach George Karl was asked how much playing time, ideally, would he like to see Lawson get in before the postseason?

“My gut says I’d like to see him have a decent to good game to where he’s making his shots, where he’s got his swag a little bit,” Karl said. “His ability to attack is so important to what we do. I’d probably like to see him have a couple good games. … There’s a good chance we can get him back, I don’t think it’s going to be 100 percent.”

The Spurs, though, were without their own pesky point guard, Tony Parker, who missed the game with a neck injury, as well as Manu Ginobili (hamstring).

But as for this fast-paced “team-ness” team, to use a Karl word, they’re playing an a historic clip.

How good is this squad? Basketball-reference.com tracks team efficiency, which is a fancy stat that analyzes points per 100 possessions. This season, the Nuggets are at plus-5.2, which is significantly higher than any other Denver team since the Nuggets joined the NBA. The next-highest is plus-4.3 from 2009-10. The previous season, ’09, Denver was plus-3.6.

Nuggets Recap

What you might have missed

Corey Brewer had scored 22 and 23 points in the previous two games, just the second time in his career he had back-to-back 20-point games. And on Wednesday, he had 20 after just three quarters. The reserve forward finished with 27 points on 12-for-25 shooting, the 25 his most-ever attempts. … Brewer also led all players with a plus-30 rating. … JaVale McGee tallied four blocks, including two on consecutive shot attempts and another from behind that bounced off the backboard.

Final thought

Dominant at 5280.

Up next

Friday at Dallas, 6:30 p.m.

Going for history

The Nuggets’ win over the Spurs on Wednesday night was a franchise-record 21st consecutive home win, breaking the mark of the 1984-85 team, and 54th victory overall, tying a team mark during their NBA existence. The two previous 54-win teams:

2008-09

The Nuggets landed favorite son Chauncey Billups from Detroit in an early-season trade. The Nuggets blasted New Orleans (4-1) and Dallas (4-1) in the playoffs before losing to the Lakers (4-2) in the conference finals.

1987-88

Doug Moe’s best team was a high-scoring, entertaining squad led by Alex English, who averaged 25.0 points per game. Denver lost to Dallas in the conference semifinals.

Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294, bhochman@denverpost.com or twitter.com/nuggetsnews