The Denver Nuggets have put themselves in a dangerous position, as they are down 3-1 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. And to make matters worse, the NBA is investigating the end-of-game scuffle that took place in Game 4, and Nikola Jokic was at the forefront of it. That puts the worst-case scenario in play: A suspension.
Jokic being out for Game 5 would put the Nuggets in a disastrous spot with their playoff lives on the line. The Wolves already have a massive advantage, as they only have to win one more game. But if the Nuggets end up missing Jokic, then that advantage would get even more significant.
And that would be brutal for the Nuggets to have to deal with.
NBA investigation could lead to Nikola Jokic suspension (however unlikely)
At the end of Game 4, Jaden McDaniels had the ball, and he could have dribbled out the clock, as the Wolves were up big when the final seconds were ticking down.
However, he ran the ball down the court and dunked it, which Jokic didn’t like. So, Jokic ran down to McDaniels and grabbed him, beginning a shoving match that eventually bled throughout the entire team. Well, both teams.
A ton of people got involved from both sides, and a couple of Timberwolves players even came off the bench a little bit, which could be an issue for Minnesota.
Fast forward to now, and the NBA is supposedly going to investigate the incident, taking a look at what happened and asking some of the people who were around the incident.
NUGGETS VS WOLVES BRAWL 😦 pic.twitter.com/Fjisx68p6h
— NBA 2K26 News&Intel (@2KIntel) April 26, 2026
It seems relatively unlikely that the NBA would suspend any players involved, especially considering the stakes. The Nuggets are one game away from elimination, and it’s the playoffs. Suspensions would be drastic.
That said, if the NBA were to hand out suspensions for the altercation, Jokic would likely be one of the first players they looked at, because he started the whole ordeal.
Jokic ran across the court and ignited the entire altercation. He was the one who got in McDaniels’ face. He was the one who pushed McDaniels. He was the one who started everything.
If the NBA were to suspend anyone, he would be pretty high up on the list. But again, that seems like a pretty drastic decision to make, considering what will be on the line in Game 5.
It seems more likely than not that Jokic will just receive a fine, and everyone will be good to go for Game 5. But anything is possible. However unlikely, a suspension is definitely on the table for Jokic. And that would be an absolutely brutal reality for Denver.
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