Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle Fined After Nuggets vs. Wolves Altercation in NBA Playoffs Game 4

Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić and Minnesota Timberwolves star Julius Randle have picked up fines after an altercation at the end of Game 4 of the first-round series.

The NBA announced Sunday that Jokić has been fined $50,000 and Randle has been fined $35,000 after both players were ejected on Saturday.

The Timberwolves led 110-96 in the final moments of Saturday night's clash when Minnesota's Jaden McDaniels took an uncontested layup with just 1.2 seconds remaining. Jokić took exception to the easy basket, rushing to the other end of the court to confront him.

It is, of course, an unspoken rule to let the clock run out when the game is out of reach.

"Clock still be running," McDaniels told reporters. "So I'm going to go score."

The two players exchanged a few shoves before things escalated further when Randle got involved. The mosh pit of players and coaches eventually subsided, and Jokić and Randle were ejected.

"I don't regret it," Jokić said. "Because he scored after everybody stopped playing."

The incident was perhaps a culmination of both the Nuggets' frustrations and the growing rivalry between Denver and Minnesota. McDaniels, in particular, has been at the forefront of the rivalry, saying, "they're all bad defenders" when discussing Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cam Johnson earlier in the series.

Nuggets coach David Adelman said McDaniels' last-second bucket is a reflection of "who he is."

"I didn't like what McDaniels did," Adelman said. "The game was over. The game was conceded. In 2026, that stuff just doesn't happen anymore. That's something that happens in the '80s, where teams would continue to score. But that's who he is."

Game 5 of the Nuggets-Timberwolves series was already going to be interesting as Denver looks to avoid elimination, but the fight only adds to what has become one of the best rivalries in recent memory.

Unfortunately for Minnesota, it will have to manage without its star, Anthony Edwards, who is dealing with a knee injury that is set to leave him sidelined for multiple weeks.