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Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

The Game 4 matchup between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves turned ugly as the final seconds of the fourth quarter expired. But all things considered, circumstances could have proven much more dire for Denver and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in the aftermath.

After the sideline scrum ensued, drawing several players off the Minnesota bench and impinging upon the personal space of multiple Timberwolves fans sitting court-side, the NBA announced two significant punishments: one for Jokic and one for Minnesota forward Julius Randle.

The league office smacked Jokic with a $50,000 fine for instigating physical contact with Jaden McDaniels, after the latter broke an unwritten rule of play by scoring in garbage time with the game already well in hand — and doing so not long after recently and publicly insulting Denver by characterizing every player on the roster as a poor defender.

Randle caught a $35,000 fine for the physicality of his response to Jokic’s interaction with McDaniels, per Shams Charania of ESPN.

Anthony Slater, also of ESPN, reposted Charania’s initial report, adding a caption that contained significant news for both teams, but the Nuggets specifically.

“No suspensions for Game 5,” Slater wrote.

Nuggets Face Elimination Against Timberwolves in Game 5

GettyNikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets. 

That development is so significant given the destructive nature of Game 4, which hit each team in a different way.

The Nuggets, the No. 3 seed, fell down 3-1 and are now on the brink of elimination in Round 1 against the sixth-seeded Timberwolves heading back to Denver for Game 5. Playing without Jokic wouldn’t necessarily have sealed the team’s fate, but it would have rendered the possibility of a victory and extension of the series far less likely given how important he is to everything they do.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves saw Donte DiVincenzo tear his Achilles tendon and leave the arena in a wheelchair. The injury is likely to keep him out of all, or at least much, the 2026-27 campaign.

Superstar Anthony Edwards also injured himself in the game and will miss the remainder of the series, plus more time if Minnesota advances.

“Just in: Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has sustained a bone bruise and hyperextension in his left knee and is expected to miss multiple weeks, sources tell ESPN,” Charania reported via social media Sunday. “Results showed Edwards avoided any ligament damage, but he will now miss time.”

Timberwolves’ Injuries Open Door for Nuggets to Come Back From Daunting 3-1 Series Deficit

GettyAnthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves are undeniably a bad matchup for the Nuggets, who could contend for a title in a tough Western Conference this postseason if they can find their way out of Round 1 and get Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson healthy.

Edwards’ absence, and to a lesser extend DiVincenzo’s, offers Denver considerably more hope to come back from down 3-1 than the average team would have.

The number of squads down by that tally in a seven-game series varies based on the source, though the general consensus is that the figure is somewhere between 280-300 and that precisely 13 teams have overcome the daunting deficit to advance.

The highest profile instance of this came during the 2016 NBA Finals, when the Cleveland Cavaliers won the title after trailing the Golden State Warriors 3-1.