Nikola Jokić and Julius Randle were ejected after Jaden McDaniels made a meaningless – and provocative – layup at the end of the Minnesota Timberwolves’ playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.
With Minnesota already all but guaranteed victory in a game that ended 112-96, McDaniels chose to make the layup with 2.1 seconds left rather than run out the clock, as is customary. That led to Jokić jogging down from half-court to confront McDaniels, and a shoving match ensued as other players became involved.
“I don’t know what [Jokić] said, to be honest. I just seen someone who was big as hell,” he said of the exchange with the 6ft 11in, 284lbs center.
“I don’t regret it,” Jokić said of his actions. “Because he scored after everybody stopped playing.”
Jokić was ejected for his part in the melee, as was Randle, who joined in the shoving.
McDaniels was already unpopular with the Nuggets after calling Jokić and his teammates “bad defenders” earlier in the series, which the Timberwolves now lead 3-1.
“I didn’t like what McDaniels did,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “The game was over. The game was conceded. In 2026, that stuff just doesn’t happen anymore. That’s something that happens in the ‘80s, where teams would continue to score. But that’s who he is.”
Although McDaniels will attract attention for his part in the game, Ayo Dosunmu, who Minnesota acquired from Chicago in February, was the team’s hero.
Dosunmu scored 43 points, stepping up after injuries to Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo with the highest-scoring playoff performance by a reserve in 50 years.
“Ayo was just out of this world, man,” Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said. “Just play after play after play.”
Dosunmu made 13 of 17 shots, going 5 of 5 from three-point range, and all 12 of his free throws in a season-high 42 minutes. It was the best performance by a sub since Fred Brown scored 45 off the bench for Seattle in a 116-111 loss to Phoenix in April 1976.
Jamal Murray led Denver with 30 points. Jokić added 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists. The Nuggets went just 6 for 27 from 3-point range.
The Wolves have won the last three games and can end the series in Game 5 on Monday night in Denver. “I expect us to have a great effort in Game 5,” Nuggets coach David Adelman said. “I really trust our two best players will find a rhythm, and they have to find that at home.”
While Minnesota celebrate victory, the injuries to Edwards and DiVincenzo are real concerns for the Timberwolves’ playoff hopes.
Edwards, a four-time All-Star and the team’s top scorer, left in the second quarter after landing awkwardly and injuring his knee. Team officials helped Edwards to his feet and he placed his arms around their shoulders. He put little weight on his left leg as he hobbled toward the locker room.
Earlier in the first half, Timberwolves guard DiVincenzo headed toward the locker room after he injured his right leg on a non-contact play. Early reports indicated that DiVincenzo may have ruptured his achilles tendon.
In Saturday’s other games, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a playoff-career-high 42 points to lift Oklahoma City to a road win over Phoenix. The reigning NBA MVP finished 15 of 18 from the floor with eight assists to give the Thunder a commanding 3-0 lead in their first-round Western Conference playoff series. Elsewhere, Karl Anthony-Towns totaled 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for his first career playoff triple-double as New York earned a victory over host Atlanta and evened their series 2-2. Meanwhile, the East’s No 1 seeds, the Detroit Pistons, are 2-1 down in their series with Orlando after Paolo Banchero and Desmond Bane scored 25 points apiece to give the Magic a 113-105 victory.
