Nuggets avoid suspensions, Jokic fined after Game 4 melee

The NBA is taking a chunk of change from Nikola Jokic and Julius Randle after a Game 4 scuffle between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves but both teams will be happy it’s just that and not the alternative.

Jokic was docked $50,000 and Randle, $35,000 for some shoves in the last second of Game 4.

NBA discipline for Denver-Minnesota scuffle in Game 4:

Nikola Jokic fined $50,000
Julius Randle fined $35,000

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 26, 2026

For a long time there was a strong rule in the NBA with no exceptions: leave the bench during a scuffle, get suspended. Multiple Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves players did just that during a scuffle at the end of Game 4. It resulted in the ejections of Jaden McDaniels and Nikola Jokic. ESPN reported earlier on Sunday that the NBA has opened an investigation into the incident and it could result in punishment before Game 5 on Monday night.

The punishment is about wallets not participation as the NBA took it easy on the teams, following their adjustment of their own rule.

It was the final play of the 112-96 loss for the Nuggets when Jokic was upset with McDaniels. for going up for a layup when the game was already in hand. He ran full court at him and the two grabbed each other’s jerseys. Players from both teams joined the scuffle.

It’s no surprise there’s bad blood between the two teams with them playing over 30 games against one another in the past few seasons, including three playoff series. McDaniels has been a central figure, smack-talking the Nuggets with a comment about the team’s bad defense after Game 2.

NIKOLA JOKIC GOES AFTER JADEN MCDANIELS FIGHT BREAKS OUT. OH MY. pic.twitter.com/YnRsvdw3KY

— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) April 26, 2026

The longtime rule about leaving the bench that has been so hard and fast was recently tweaked. The NBA altered leaving the bench rule a few years ago. It’s no longer as strict as it was 20 years ago when the Suns kinda got screwed in this exact situation. Now the rule takes into account distance player traveled and extent in which they entered immediate proximity of altercation.

This played out last year for the Nuggets during the Clippers series where nobody faced serious discipline, just the six technicals after some shoves and words exchanged. So the league was looking at multiple factors at play in determining potential discipline and not just automatically leaving the bench.

The Nuggets are down 3-1, looking to become the 10th team since the 1980s to flip that deficit, the last two wins were led by Jokic.

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