Jaden McDaniels Breaks Silence After Tense Moment With Nikola Jokic
Jaden McDaniels finally addressed the late-game moment with Nikola Jokic that added even more fire to an already tense Nuggets-Timberwolves playoff series. With Minnesota closing out a strong 112-96 Game 4 win, McDaniels chose not to just dribble out the clock, instead finishing an uncontested layup with 1.3 seconds left.
Jokic clearly did not like it and confronted him near the Timberwolves bench, setting off a brief skirmish between the two teams. But McDaniels did not seem too bothered by the reaction afterward. For him, the clock was still running, the play was still alive, and if Denver was not going to stop him, he was going to score.
Jaden McDaniels on the late layup that incited a skirmish: "Clock still be running. So I'm going to go score."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) April 26, 2026
Did Nikola Jokic say anything to him? "I don't know what he said, to be honest. I just seen someone who was big as hell." pic.twitter.com/L6pRABt5sM
Speaking about the incident after the game and words exchanged with Jokic McDaniels said, "Clock still be running. So I'm going to go score."
Did Nikola Jokic say anything to him? "I don't know what he said, to be honest. I just seen someone who was big as hell."
A Closer Look at the Game 4 and the Moment That Set It Off
The ending of Game 4 gave an already intense Timberwolves-Nuggets series another major flashpoint. Minnesota was seconds away from closing out a 112-96 win when Jaden McDaniels' late layup set off Nikola Jokic, who clearly felt the play was unnecessary with the result already decided. Jokic confronted McDaniels near the Timberwolves bench, the two got tangled up, and within seconds players from both sides were pulled into a chaotic scene before the final buzzer.
The officials reviewed the altercation and both Jokic and Julius Randle were ejected, adding one last layer of drama to a game Minnesota had already taken control of. The league is expected to look at the whole sequence before Game 5, especially with players stepping toward the scrum from the bench area.
But beyond the late skirmish, this was a massive win for the Timberwolves. They took a 3-1 lead in the series and pushed Denver to the edge after another frustrating night for the Nuggets. Jokic still put up 24 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists, but he faded late as Denver's offense stalled in the fourth quarter.
Minnesota had its own problems too. Donte DiVincenzo suffered a serious Achilles injury early, while Anthony Edwards left with a knee issue. Still, the Timberwolves found an unlikely hero in Ayo Dosunmu, who exploded for 43 points and powered their second-half surge. What started as a gritty playoff win ended with bad blood, and now Game 5 in Denver has even more tension attached to it.
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This story was originally published April 25, 2026 at 11:09 PM.