NBA Reviewing Late-Game Skirmish Between Nuggets and Timberwolves
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The NBA has opened an inquiry into the altercation that erupted near the Minnesota Timberwolves bench in the closing seconds of Saturday’s Game 4, when Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels were involved in a heated exchange that led to multiple ejections.
With Denver trailing by 16 and the clock winding down, McDaniels opted for an uncontested layup instead of dribbling out the final seconds. Jokic confronted him moments later and was assessed a technical foul and ejected. “I don’t regret it,” Jokic said afterward, explaining that play had effectively stopped before McDaniels scored.
Timberwolves forward Julius Randle was also ejected for his role in the incident. According to Shams Charania of ESPN, the league is reviewing the footage to determine whether additional penalties are warranted.
Jokic’s Continued Shooting Woes
Jokic entered Game 4 aiming for better efficiency after shooting just 7-for-26 in the Game 3 loss. The three-time MVP finished Saturday with 24 points but missed all six of his field-goal attempts in the fourth quarter, ESPN’s Anthony Slater reported. Through four games, he is averaging 25.0 points, 14.5 rebounds, 7.8 assists and 1.5 steals, while shooting .391 from the field and .185 from three-point range.
The Serbian center labeled his overall play in the series “average” and credited Rudy Gobert’s physical defense. “He’s a really good defender … they’re big, long, tall, handsy, trippy, they’re bumping you,” Jokic said.
McDaniels’ Role and Earlier Comments
McDaniels has been vocal throughout the matchup, previously calling several Nuggets “poor individual defenders” after Minnesota’s comeback victory in Game 2. Asked Saturday if he believed he was inside Denver’s collective head, he replied, “I said what I said, and I just come hoop every night.”
Timberwolves Overcome Backcourt Injuries
Minnesota outscored Denver by 20 in the second half despite losing both starting guards: Donte DiVincenzo sustained a torn right Achilles in the first quarter, and Anthony Edwards left in the second with a hyperextended knee. The Timberwolves still erased a four-point halftime deficit to secure the 16-point win and take a 3-1 series lead.
The NBA has not announced a timeline for a ruling on the Game 4 incident.
Source: Hoops Rumors
