Thunder OT win overshadowed as Nikola Jokić angrily confronts Lu Dort and Dort is ejected

Why this matters now: The skirmish that erupted late reshaped the emotional tenor of a crucial matchup and immediately affected personnel and momentum for the team that will feel it first — the thunder roster that had to win without its leading scorer in overtime. The confrontation and the subsequent Flagrant 2 ejection change how both clubs walk out of a 127-121 overtime game played in Oklahoma City on Feb. 27, 2026.

Thunder are hit first: ejection and technicals change closing-minute calculus

Here's the part that matters: Lu Dort was ejected after a play that on video looked like a hip check or an intentional trip on Nikola Jokić. That contact drew an immediate, heated reaction from Jokić; Jaylin Williams then stepped in and the two became physical, forcing players and coaches from both teams to rush to midcourt. Officials assessed Dort with a Flagrant 2 and ejected him, while Jokić and Williams received offsetting technical fouls. The ruling removed Dort from the floor and handed the Thunder an immediate personnel loss in the fourth quarter drama.

Event details and how the sequence unfolded

The skirmish began in the fourth quarter after a hip-check/trip-style contact on Nikola Jokić by Lu Dort. Jokić confronted Dort, Williams confronted Jokić, and the exchange escalated into a brief physical altercation that required intervention; it took a while for the players to be pried apart. Crew chief James Williams described the hip check/trip combination as dangerous and said the contact was judged unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury, noting that the contact led to an altercation that did not dissolve—by rule, a Flagrant 2 carries an automatic ejection.

The confrontation was a flashpoint in a tight game that ultimately went to overtime after Jokić tied the score with 38 seconds remaining in regulation. In the extra period the Thunder shut down the Nuggets and closed out a 127-121 victory.

Numbers and notable performances

• Nikola Jokić: 23 points on 9-of-25 shooting, 17 rebounds, 14 assists.
• Jamal Murray: team-leading 39 points for the Nuggets.
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: returned from an abdominal strain and led the Thunder with 36 points and 9 assists in 34 minutes; he did not play in overtime due to a minutes restriction.
• Chet Holmgren: 15 points, 21 rebounds, 3 blocks.
• Only two other Nuggets scored more than seven points.

Contextual layer: prior playoff clash and playing styles

The situation had been brewing: the Thunder beat the Nuggets 4-3 in last season's Western Conference semifinals, and Denver, especially Jokić, was intent on matching Oklahoma City's aggressive style. Lu Dort entered the night as a first-team All-Defensive selection last season and is known for testing the boundaries of physical defense; that reputation factored into how the altercation was viewed and officiated.

Standings, depth and immediate implications

Denver had led by as many as 16 in the first quarter before Oklahoma City rallied. Depth proved decisive — players like Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso and Jared McCain made key plays down the stretch while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat out overtime due to the minutes limit. The win kept the Thunder at 46-15, two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the West; the Nuggets sit 37-23, tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for fourth.

• Key takeaway: the ejection removes Dort from critical minutes and hands Denver a charged emotional moment to process.
• Key takeaway: Jokić’s ability to tie the game with 38 seconds left and finish with a 23-17-14 line underscores his on-court impact despite the loss.
• Key takeaway: Oklahoma City’s depth compensated when Shai missed overtime, a factor that influenced the final outcome.
• Key takeaway: officials framed the play as having a high injury potential; that framing carried the automatic ejection.

The real question now is how both clubs treat this incident moving forward: for the Thunder, losing Dort in that moment creates a short-term hole on the roster for this game; for Denver, the altercation may harden matchup narratives that date back to last postseason.

Micro timeline (verifiable):

• Feb. 27, 2026 — Game played in Oklahoma City; a fourth-quarter contact on Jokić leads to confrontation.
• Late regulation — Jokić ties the game with 38 seconds remaining, forcing overtime.
• Overtime — Thunder shut down Nuggets and win 127-121; Dort was ejected earlier and Jokić and Williams received technicals.

It's easy to overlook, but the officials’ decision hinged not only on the contact itself but on the escalation that followed. The portion of the text that began a sentence about Jokic was cut off in the provided context and is unclear in the provided context, so further specifics about that fragment cannot be confirmed here.

Writer's aside: moments like this rarely exist in isolation—playoff history and player reputations shape how on-court incidents are perceived and punished, and that dynamic was visible throughout this game.