NBA Announces Punishments for Nuggets-Timberwolves Game 4 Scuffle

The NBA has dealt out a couple of slaps on the wrist for the late-game scuffle that took place between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves in Game 4.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, two players will be fined for the scuffle at the end of Game 4: Nikola Jokic with a hefty $50,000 fine, while Julius Randle would be hit with a $35,000 fine.

NBA discipline for Denver-Minnesota scuffle in Game 4:

Nikola Jokic fined $50,000
Julius Randle fined $35,000
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2026

It felt unlikely that anyone involved in the ugly end to Game 4 would see much more than a financial punishment, but the report makes that status official.

That means, for both sides, suspensions will not be in play, and should leave both Jokic (and anyone else involved at the end of Game 4, for that matter) ready to get back into the heat of battle come time for the next game on Monday.

Nikola Jokic Avoids Suspension for Game 5

The altercation that first started the whirlwend inevitably be started because of a controversial play from Jaden McDaniels in the final seconds of game time on Satirday.

Combining with a brutal collapse from the Nuggets that sunk them to their third consecutive loss in the postseason, it wouldn’t be without that embarrassing effort capped off with McDanies deciding to core in the final seconds of the game that was already decided.

That, in the mind of many, breaks one of the few unwritten rules of basketball that crosses a line of disrespect. And for Jokic, it led to him storming down the floor to confront McDaniels for his decision.

NUGGETS VS. WOLVES FIGHT

OH MY GOODNESS. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/YSFx0kXq5X
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) April 26, 2026

No fisticuffs were thrown, and the issue turned to nothing much more than a back-and-forth between the Nuggets and Timberwolves players.

But in the end, it would lead to a Jokic ejection with less than two seconds to go in the game, and would conclude with the Wolves taking a 3-1 series lead.

Nuggets head coach David Adelman would criticize McDaniels and his play at the end of the fourth quarter following the loss.

"I didn't like what McDaniels did," Adelman said postgame. "The game was over...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.”

Jokic Has Chance for Revenge, But It's Now or Never

Now that Jokic is good to go for the game ahead, he'll have a perfect opportunity to claim some of his coveted revenge on a Timberwolves squad that has clearly started to build up a bit of a rivalry with this Denver team after the four games that have been presented thus far.

But for Jokic to actually get a taste of a bounceback effort, he'll have to hope that both he and the other Nuggets around him bring their A-game offensively compared to the past two games, where their number-one ranked offense has failed to score over 100 points on two occasions.

Apr 25, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert (27) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) position themselves for a rebound in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images | Matt Blewett-Imagn Images

If they can shoot better than the sub-30% rate they've logged in their last three losses, perhaps Denver could breathe some life into a series that's remained pretty one-sided thus far.

Also, having a motivated Jokic tends to help out their case a bit as well, which should be his state of mind following how he last left the floor in Minnesota.

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