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Nikola Jokic is in the headlines, not for the right reasons this time. The NBA star has been making waves for his recent acceleration with opponent players, and he has now spoken about it.
Jokic sprinted the length of the court and shoved Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels after an uncontested layup in the final seconds of Game 4, igniting a benches-clearing altercation that resulted in ejections for the Nuggets star and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle.
Nuggets’ Jokic has no regrets on wild fight with Jaden McDaniels during NBA Playoffs vs Timberwolves
The Timberwolves defeated the Denver Nuggets 112-96 on Saturday night, taking a commanding 3-1 lead in their Western Conference first-round playoff series. With the Timberwolves leading comfortably and just over two seconds remaining, McDaniels took the open layup as several Nuggets players had eased off defensively.
Jokic, who was on the opposite end of the court, charged toward McDaniels in frustration, leading to a confrontation near the Minnesota bench. Players and officials from both teams quickly intervened to separate the two, but the scuffle escalated before order was restored. Both Jokic and Randle, who reacted angrily to the incident, were ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct. The NBA is expected to review the play for potential further discipline.
In a post-game interview, Jokic defended his reaction, stating he had no regrets. He said:
"Because he scored when everybody stopped playing.”
The three-time MVP referred to what he views as an unwritten rule against padding the score in a decided game. McDaniels, for his part, downplayed the confrontation, saying he simply saw "someone that was big as hell" approaching and noted that the clock was still running. The incident has reignited debate over competitive etiquette in the closing moments of lopsided playoff contests, as the series shifts back to Denver for Game 5 on Monday.
The altercation overshadowed a strong Timberwolves performance that included contributions from role players stepping up amid injuries, further pressuring the defending Western Conference contenders from Denver to avoid elimination.
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