Following the late-game altercation between the Nuggets and Timberwolves at the conclusion of Saturday night’s Game 4, the NBA fined Nikola Jokić and Julius Randle.
Randle was fined $35,000 and Jokić $50,000 for their involvement in the on-court confrontation. As part of the altercation, both players were sent off, however following the league’s assessment, no sanctions were imposed. With 1.3 seconds remaining in the game, Timberwolves wing Jaden McDaniels made a layup, which infuriated Jokić. As mayhem broke out, he ran across the court to face McDaniels only to be grabbed by the jersey.
Randle’s aggressive pursuit of Jokić in the midst of the action resulted in his dismissal and subsequent penalties.
The full dust-up may be seen below:
It’s not surprising that the dispute didn’t escalate to the point of suspensions, which could have significantly changed the series’ outcome, given that no punches were thrown. While Jokić is essential to the Nuggets’ success since Denver is currently on the verge of elimination, down 3-1 to Minnesota, the Timberwolves are currently without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo and cannot afford any further absences.
The action began with Jokić and McDaniels. Earlier in the series, the latter criticized a number of Denver players, including Jokić, for being poor defenders. A large throng rushed around Jokić and McDaniels because the activity was so close to the T’Wolves bench. Randle got right in the center of the situation and was ejected because he was upset with Jokić’s choice to pursue his teammate. Jokić was fined by the NBA for starting the whole thing, but Randle was also punished for intensifying the situation by pushing Bruce Brown and forcing his way in.
