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Nikola Jokić was ejected late in the game after an on court altercation with Jaden McDaniels as the Minnesota Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets to move closer to advancing in the first round of the NBA playoffs.
The incident occurred with just 1.3 seconds remaining and Minnesota comfortably ahead by 14 points in Game 4. As the clock wound down, McDaniels drove in for an uncontested layup instead of letting time expire, which appeared to catch the Nuggets off guard as they had expected the Timberwolves to run out the clock.
Jokić reacted strongly to the play, viewing it as unnecessary given the game situation. He sprinted from mid court to confront McDaniels and pushed him, which quickly escalated into a brief confrontation involving players from both teams. The benches became involved as tensions rose in the closing moments.
Officials responded by ejecting Jokić, a three time NBA Most Valuable Player, along with Timberwolves forward Julius Randle for their roles in the altercation. McDaniels, however, was not ejected.
After the game, McDaniels said he was unsure what Jokić said during the confrontation, adding that he simply noticed the Serbian star approaching him. The 25 year old has been a vocal presence throughout the series and previously stirred reactions from Denver after calling their defense weak following Minnesota's Game 2 win.
The Timberwolves secured a 112 to 96 victory, giving them a 3 to 1 lead in the best of seven Western Conference playoff series. The win marked their third straight in the matchup, putting them one victory away from advancing.
Nuggets coach David Adelman expressed frustration with McDaniels' decision to score in the closing seconds. He said the game had already been decided and suggested that such actions are generally avoided in modern basketball out of respect for opponents.
Despite the loss, Jokić delivered a strong individual performance, finishing with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists. However, it was not enough to overcome a dominant Timberwolves display, highlighted by a standout performance from Ayo Dosunmu, who scored a career high 43 points.
