With just two days between games, the NBA has promptly sorted through discipline stemming from the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves altercation, with no players drawing suspensions.
The NBA announced Sunday, April 26 that Nuggets All-Star center and Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola Jokić has been fined $50,000, and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle has been fined $35,000, following a review of the incident.
NBA executive vice president and head of basketball operations James Jones oversaw the league investigation and levied the fines.
Jokić’s fine was for initiating the altercation and shoving Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels, and Randle’s is for escalating the event by “forcefully inserting himself into the scrum” and shoving Nuggets guard Bruce Brown.
The NBA conducts its investigations by reviewing footage from inside the arena and speaking to parties involved.
Although the NBA has rules for players drawing automatic suspensions for leaving the bench area during altercations, the league weighs the role those individuals play in any fight. That allowed players like Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon, who clearly left the bench area despite not being checked into the game, to avoid a suspension.
The fight started with just 1.3 seconds left in Game 4, an eventual 112-96 Timberwolves victory Saturday, April 25, when the outcome was already decided. But the Timberwolves, looking to burn the clock, tossed the ball up to forward Jaden McDaniels. Rather than dribble it out for the end of the game, McDaniels put up an uncontested layup to push Minnesota’s lead to 16 points.
Jokić took exception to the layup and rushed over from half court to confront McDaniels, eventually getting in McDaniels’ face and shoving him.
McDaniels grabbed Jokić by the jersey as the two got tangled up, leading to teammates and assistants getting in between the pair to break it up. The incident took place right in front of the Timberwolves’ bench.
NUGGETS VS. WOLVES FIGHTOH MY GOODNESS. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/YSFx0kXq5X
Eventually, both players were separated, and both Jokić and Randle were ejected.
“Because he scored when everybody stopped playing,” Jokić said after the game when asked what upset him. “Come on, guys, you saw it, what happened.”
The Nuggets fell to a 3-1 series deficit with Saturday’s loss, though the victory didn’t come without some significant cost for the Timberwolves. Minnesota lost starting guard Donte DiVincenzo to a torn right Achilles tendon, and All-Star guard Anthony Edwards reportedly suffered a bone bruise and hyperextended knee that will sideline him for multiple weeks.
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
1 / 9Coolest kicks of the NBA playoffs as stars show their sneaker styleThe NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The NBA playoffs bring out more than high‑stakes basketball, as stars showcase their sneaker style on the league’s biggest stage.See the coolest kicks worn during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, where footwear becomes part of the spotlight.Above, The shoes of Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks are seen during the first half of Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round NBA Playoffs against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden on April 18, 2026, in New York City.
The altercation, though, somewhat marred what was a physical, hard-fought game, one in which backup Timberwolves guard Ayo Dosunmu dropped a career-high 43 points.
“Obviously, I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman told reporters after the game. “The game was over. The game was conceded both ways. In 2026 that stuff just doesn’t happen anymore. That stuff happened in the ‘80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is. And so if that’s what they want to do, that’s what they want to do. It has nothing to do with the win or the loss.”
Game 5 is scheduled for Monday, April 27 at 10:30 p.m. ET.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle disciplined after NBA playoff game fracas