If there was any tension simmering under the rivalry between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Denver Nuggets, it officially boiled over in the closing seconds of Game 4. It’s bad enough that ejections happened and suspensions are expected. For the Nuggets, it  could mean a lot more dire right when on the brink of a first-round exit as it involves their core player. The players involved, Nikola Jokic and Jaden McDaniels seem unphased at the prospective suspension when they address it after the game.

The heated altercation broke just minutes before the final box score sealed the Wolves’ victory. Minnesota held a commanding 112-96 lead and only 1.3 seconds remaining on the clock. That’s when Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels opted to score an uncontested layup rather than dribble out the time. The decision immediately drew the Joker’s ire.

Usually when that happens, the big man is immediately charging. That’s exactly how he sprinted across the court to confront McDaniels. The encounter quickly escalated into a chaotic scrum as players from both benches converged, forcing officials to intervene. By the time the dust settled, both Jokic, McDaniels, and Justin Randle, who tried to break it up, had been ejected.

Adding insult to injury for Jokic, the 112-106 loss puts the Nuggets one game away from elimination. The next three games are must-win for Denver. But they could potentially not have Jokic for at least one of them. The NBA is reportedly deliberating if suspensions are warranted for Jokic and other players after this incident.

The stakes are high but for Jokic, the bar for player etiquette was higher. Following the game, Jokic was firm in his stance: “I don’t regret going after Jaden McDaniels,” the MVP finalist stated, citing a violation of sportsmanship. “He scored after everybody stopped playing.” He believed there’s an unwritten rule to let the clock run out in this situation and it was not about firing up his teammates.

McDaniels, however, didn’t believe in the same principle. Despite the verbal shots from the Denver bench, Jaden declared, “Clock still be running. So I’m going to go score,” to the reporters in the locker room.

The threat of suspensions still loom when neither team can let their guards down. Yet both sides are taking a defiant stance on today’s scuffle.

Nikola Jokic’s and Jaden McDaniels’ coaches fire shots

When someone like Nikola Jokic charges at you, brain function can cease. Jaden McDaniels claimed there was no real conversation despite the two jawing at each other and grabbing jerseys. “I don’t know what he said, to be honest. I just seen someone who was big as hell.”

While that is understandable in a confrontation with a giant, McDaniels kept it cool in the end stating, “I just come to hoop every night. doesn’t matter who we’re playing against.” Perhaps the most sensible attitude to have while waiting for a verdict from the league’s disciplinary office.

Like his player, Minnesota coach Chris Finch remained defiant in his post-game comments, telling reporters, “I’m proud of the guys stepping up and fighting for each other, literally and figuratively. These teams don’t like each other. It’s no secret.” It’s not been a secret since Jokic’s Nuggets and Anthony Edwards’ Wolves have clashed frequently in past playoffs too.

The NBA rules mandate that players who are not playing in the game cannot leave the bench during altercations. Footage confirms Aaron Gordon left the bench to intervene. So now even he is facing a suspension. That adds to David Adelman’s frustrations tonight.

“Obviously, I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Adelman said, understandably taking Jokic’s side. “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…. It has nothing to do with the win or the loss.”

Adelman also may be holding on to a false sense of security when he says, “More importantly, no suspensions for us,” Adelman said. “I didn’t see anything out of line. Obviously, they’ll have the Hawkeye view of the whole thing, but from what I saw, from my standpoint, I saw [Jokic] get into it with [McDaniels] toward the middle of the scrum, and then both guys were ejected.”

The league office is indeed looking into it and by most analysts’ observations, Adelman’s and Finch’s players could be suspended. As the series shifts back to Denver for Game 5, tonight’s late-game brawl ensures that the rivalry will remain personal heading into a potential elimination game.