At the end of an emotional game in which the Minnesota Timberwolves lost two players to injury, tempers flared and a pair of stars were ejected.
It started with just 1.3 seconds left in Game 4, 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.
Denver Nuggets All-Star center and NBA Most Valuable Player finalist Nikola Jokić took exception to the layup and rushed over from half court to confront McDaniels, eventually getting in McDaniels’ face.
NUGGETS VS. WOLVES FIGHTOH MY GOODNESS. 🍿🍿🍿 pic.twitter.com/YSFx0kXq5X
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.
Eventually, both players were separated, and both Jokic and McDaniels were ejected.
The Timberwolves won the game, 112-96, taking a 3-1 lead over Denver in the first-round playoff series.
Moondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.A member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.Cleveland Brows player Myles Garrett riles up the crowd during the first half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.A fan waves a towel during the second half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.Fans arrive to watch warmups before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.1 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyMoondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.1 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyMoondog performs during the first quarter of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors at Rocket Arena.2 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyA member of the Cleveland Cavaliers Scream Team performs during a time out during the second half of game one in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.3 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyCleveland Brows player Myles Garrett riles up the crowd during the first half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.4 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyA fan waves a towel during the second half of game one between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Rocket Arena.5 / 5NBA playoffs fans, dancers, cheerleaders and mascots bring the energyFans arrive to watch warmups before game one of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Ball Arena.The NBA has strict rules about players who are not actively playing in a game leaving the bench area during altercations. Players who do leave the bench are subject to an automatic suspension of at least one game. Fines are also factored into the discipline for leaving the bench.
Initial video of the incident Saturday night showed that Nuggets star forward Aaron Gordon left the bench in an attempt to break it up.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fight breaks out late in Timberwolves' playoff win vs. Nuggets