Jokic confronts Lu Dort after trip in heated Nuggets-Thunder overtime loss

Nikola Jokic was tripped by Lu Dort late in the fourth quarter, and jokic called Dort’s action "an unnecessary move" — a confrontation that ended with Dort ejected and helped shape a 127-121 overtime win for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Jokic confronts Dort at midcourt

In Oklahoma City, the sequence began when Jokic was jogging up the floor without the ball after an Oklahoma City score and Dort stuck out his right leg, tripping Jokic. After a foul was called to stop play, Jokic got back on his feet, put his chest into Dort and angrily confronted him. The play occurred in the fourth quarter and replay clips later showed a side of Jokic that some described as "frankly terrifying. "

Officials upgrade foul to Flagrant 2

Crew chief James Williams said the contact was upgraded to a Flagrant 2 because officials deemed Dort’s contact "unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury, " and because it led to an altercation that did not dissolve. Dort was automatically ejected. Jokic and Thunder center Jaylin Williams were assessed matching unsportsmanlike technical fouls that offset; both players were allowed to remain in the game.

Exchange turns physical, replay and rules examined

Jaylin Williams came to Dort’s defense and exchanged shoves with Jokic at midcourt as players and coaches from both teams rushed in. It took a while for the two to be pried apart. Officials reviewed the replay and determined Jokic did not throw a punch when he took a swipe at Williams with his left hand; the NBA rulebook makes a thrown punch an automatic ejection and at least a one-game suspension. "When we reviewed that play, we did not see any actions by either player that would have risen to the level of an ejection, " Williams said, which is why both players received offsetting technicals.

Game swung to Thunder in overtime

The game had been tied when Jokic heaved in a basket to knot the score with 38 seconds left in regulation, sending the contest to overtime. The extra five minutes were one-sided in Oklahoma City’s favor; the Thunder shut down the Nuggets and won 127-121. Jokic finished with 23 points on 9-of-25 shooting, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Jamal Murray led Denver with 39 points, and only two other Nuggets scored more than seven points.

Returns, minutes restrictions and impact players

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, making his return from an abdominal strain, led the Thunder with 36 points and 9 assists in 34 minutes but missed all of overtime because of a minutes restriction. Chet Holmgren finished with 15 points, 21 rebounds and 3 blocks. Denver had led by as many as 16 in the first quarter, but OKC’s depth — including contributions from Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso and Jared McCain — helped fuel the comeback and the overtime edge.

Reactions from players and coach

Jokic was succinct when asked about the incident: "Unnecessary move, and a necessary reaction, " he said, adding that such contact "is not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. " Jokic also said he was confident he would not be ejected because "I didn't do nothing, " and declined further comment, saying "it's not worth it. " Neither Dort nor Williams were made available for comment by the Thunder after the game. Nuggets forward Cam Johnson said he did not see the moment because his back was turned but called it "a cheap shot enough for (Dort) to be thrown out, so they took care of it. " Thunder coach Mark Daigneault called the game "chippy, " noted the clubs had played a seven-game series and were longtime divisional foes who had met many times, and said the frustration simply "boiled over. " He added that if a Thunder player getting tripped becomes the precedent for a flagrant two, they would expect the same protection for any player. When asked whether he was insinuating Dort was ejected only because a three-time MVP was on the receiving end, Daigneault said, "I'm not going to answer the question like that. I said what I needed to say a" — unclear in the provided context.

The result left the Thunder 46-15, two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the Western Conference's best record, while the Nuggets sat 37-23, tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for fourth place.