NBA starts investigation into Nuggets-Timberwolves fight

Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

NBA starts investigation into Nuggets-Timberwolves fight

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints | Last updated Apr 26, 2026 1:48 PM ET

As the Minnesota Timberwolves overcame major injuries to beat the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of the first-round playoff series on Saturday, 112-96, the game ended with an altercation featuring stars Nikola Jokic and Jaden McDaniels. With the Nuggets’ big man in Jokic charging at McDaniels over a controversial final shot, the league is looking into the incident.

With the game already out of hand, McDaniels would score a basket with a few seconds remaining when no one was paying attention, leading to Jokic confronting him, leading to both teams trying to separate. However, there would be multiple times where it got more heated, as the NBA is conducting interviews to assess what happened and rule on decisions before Game 5 on Monday.

“The NBA investigation is underway into the Denver Nuggets-Minnesota Timberwolves scuffle Saturday night, including interviews with involved players and officials and review of the footage, sources tell ESPN,” Shams Charania wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Nikola Jokic and Jaden McDaniels got into it before the end of the game
pic.twitter.com/WH2lHqoseV

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 26, 2026

Though the game was already eventful enough with Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzeo being injured in the contest, and the already built-in rivalry between Denver and Minnesota, the altercation brought it to a new level. McDaniels spoke after the game and revealed why he scored the controversial bucket and if he remembered what Jokic said to him when he confronted him.

“Clock still be running,” McDaniels said, via Anthony Slater. “So I’m going to go score.”

“I don’t know what [Jokic] said,” McDaniels continued. “I just seen someone who was big as hell.”

“I don’t know what he said, to be honest. I just seen someone who was big as hell.”

Jaden McDaniels on what Nikola Jokic said to him at the end of the game

(via @anthonyVslater) pic.twitter.com/qWl78P8MKV

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 26, 2026

Jokic would say he doesn’t regret what he did, expressing he did that “because he scored after everybody stopped playing,”via ESPN.

"Because he scored when everybody stopped playing."

Nikola Jokic says he doesn't regret his reaction to Jaden McDaniels' layup at the end of Game 4. pic.twitter.com/ZvwLeaTDbM

— ESPN (@espn) April 26, 2026

It remains to be seen what the punishments from the NBA will look like before Game 5 on Monday.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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