NBA Playoffs: Julius Randle, Nikola Jokic fined for Game 4 altercation

Jaden McDaniels defends late basket, talks Nikola Jokic altercation

Timberwolves forward Jaden McDaniels scored a late basket in their Game 4 win Saturday night that the Denver Nuggets took issue with. McDaniels, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert and Ayo Dosunmu spoke with reporters after the win that put them up 3-1 in the best-of-seven series.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - The Minnesota Timberwolves head to Denver with a chance to close out the Nuggets in Game 5 of their NBA Playoff series Monday night.

But the rosters could be interesting for both teams, if the league decides to hand out discipline after the skirmish at the end of Game 4.

Chris Finch gives emotional reaction to Donte DiVincenzo's Achilles injury

Timberwolves' guard Donte DiVincenzo ruptured his right Achilles during the first quarter of Game 4 against the Denver Nuggets Saturday night. Chris Finch got emotional talking about DiVincenzo after the win.

Nikola Jokic, Julius Randle fined

What they're saying:

The NBA announced Sunday Nikola Jokic has been fined $50,000, and Julius Randle has been fined $35,000 for their roles in an altercation at the end of Game 4 Saturday night. They were both ejected for unsportsmanlike conduct, but neither will be suspended for Game 5 Monday night in Denver.

Timberwolves-Nuggets skirmish

The backstory:

At the end of regulation Saturday night and the Timberwolves up 110-96, Jaden McDaniels took an inbounds pass and scored a meaningless basket. Nuggets’ star Nikola Jokic didn’t care for the play, and ran the length of the court to confront McDaniels. He got in his face, and McDaniels grabbed Jokic’s jersey with both hands.

McDaniels said postgame he was playing basketball. 

"I don’t know, the game still had time on the clock for real. I don’t know what he said to be honest. I just seen someone that was big as hell," McDaniels said.

There was plenty of pushing and shoving from both teams, but no punches were thrown. Jokic and Julius Randle were ejected for hostile acts. It’s an automatic ejection if anyone not in the game leaves the bench because of an altercation, and players are subject to suspension.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Sunday the NBA is investigating the skirmish. McDaniels is already a topic of conversation, after calling out the entire Nuggets' roster for being "bad defenders" after their Game 2 win.

According to the NBA, Randle "escalated the incident by forcefully inserting himself into the scrum and shoving Nuggets' guard Bruce Brown."

Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo injuries

Why you should care:

The Timberwolves face the Nuggets in Game 5 Monday night, and can eliminate Denver from the playoffs with a win. But they’ll be without star guard Anthony Edwards, and guard Donte DiVincenzo.

DiVincenzo suffered a ruptured right Achilles’ tendon during the first quarter. He’s out for the remainder of the season. Edwards suffered a bone bruise and hyperextension of his left knee, and is out indefinitely.

What's next:

Game 5 is set for a 9:30 p.m. tip-off Monday night. If the Nuggets win, it would force a Game 6 back in Minneapolis.