Nuggets, Clippers hit with 6 techs after Recreation 4 skirmish

Denver Nuggets guard Christian Braun, left, and Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, proper, face off earlier than a scuffle broke out in the course of the first half in Recreation 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff sequence Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Inglewood, California. (AP Picture/Mark J. Terrill)

INGLEWOOD, California— James Harden and Denver’s Christian Braun tangled within the closing seconds earlier than halftime, triggering a skirmish that resulted in six technical fouls between the Los Angeles Clippers and the Nuggets in NBA Recreation 4 on Saturday.

The Nuggets received 101-99 on Aaron Gordon’s historic dunk as time expired to tie the sequence 2-2.

Harden was dribbling whereas intently defended by Braun with 6.6 seconds remaining. Harden bought fouled and exchanged phrases with Braun at midcourt. Denver’s Nikola Jokic approached them and jawed at Harden, who took a poke at Gordon with a referee within the center.

“Form of getting just a little bit chippy with CB,” Gordon stated. “I can’t let no person step up on the younger fellas.”

Denver Nuggets ahead Aaron Gordon, second from left, yells to members of the Los Angeles Clippers after he was concerned in a scuffle in the course of the first half in Recreation 4 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff sequence Saturday, April 26, 2025, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Picture/Mark J. Terrill)

Ivica Zubac of the Clippers tried to cease Gordon, who raced round him towards Harden as a number of gamers tangled whereas the referees tried to interrupt it up.

After a prolonged evaluate, the referees assessed technicals to Harden, Norman Powell and Kris Dunn of the Clippers, in addition to Jokic, Gordon and Braun.

The gang chanted, “Kick him out!” in reference to Gordon, who later was booed when he touched the ball.

However the referees determined there was no closed fist punch thrown and assessed solely the technicals, drawing extra boos from the group.

“Lots of people ought to have been ejected,” Nuggets interim coach David Adelman stated. “There was lots of people in that scuffle. I noticed lots of people beginning that and ending it. I didn’t suppose there was any extracurricular after the very fact you might say was harmful. Everybody appeared like they had been cool and let’s go play.”