Jokic Ejected Following On-Court Altercation
Nikola Jokic scored 24 points for the Denver Nuggets but was ejected after an altercation with Jaden McDaniels during the Minnesota Timberwolves' victory in the NBA play-offs first round.
With 1.3 seconds remaining in game four and the Timberwolves leading by 14 points, McDaniels made an uncontested lay-up while the Nuggets players expected him to run down the clock.
Perceiving the play as unsportsmanlike, the 31-year-old Serbian Jokic ran from mid-court to confront McDaniels, shoving him and triggering a scuffle involving players from both teams' benches.
The incident resulted in the ejection of Jokic, a three-time NBA Most Valuable Player, and Timberwolves forward Julius Randle. McDaniels was not ejected.
The Timberwolves secured a 112-96 win, taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference play-offs.
Players and Coaches React
McDaniels stated he was unaware of what Jokic said to him during the confrontation.
"I just seen someone who was big as hell," he said.
McDaniels, 25, has been vocal during the series, previously referring to the Nuggets players as "bad defenders" after Minnesota's 119-114 victory in game two.
Nuggets coach David Adelman expressed disapproval of McDaniels' decision to score the lay-up with the game effectively decided.
"The game was over. The game was conceded. In 2026, that stuff just doesn't happen any more," Adelman said. "That's something that happens in the '80s, where teams would continue to score. But that's who he is."
Game Performance and Series Status
Jokic finished the game with 24 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists, but his efforts were insufficient as the Timberwolves, led by Ayo Dosunmu's career-high 43 points, won their third consecutive game in the series.
