Nuggets Vs Thunder: Jokić Confrontation, Dort Ejection and SGA's Return Fuel OT Thriller
The Nuggets Vs Thunder matchup in Oklahoma City on Friday produced a physical, dramatic contest that ended 127-121 in overtime. The night featured a confrontation when Nikola Jokić angrily confronted Lu Dort after contact in the fourth quarter, a flagrant-2 ejection for Dort, offsetting technical fouls for Jokić and Jaylin Williams, and the return of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 36 points in his first game back from an abdominal strain.
Nuggets Vs Thunder: The on-court altercation and penalties
A skirmish erupted in the fourth quarter when the Thunder guard appeared to trip the three-time MVP Nikola Jokić, described in one account as a hip check with an outstretched leg. Jokić took exception and angrily confronted Luguentz Dort. Dort's teammate Jaylin Williams then confronted Jokić and the two got physical, with players and coaches from both teams rushing to midcourt; it took a while before they were pried apart. The immediate discipline was Dort's ejection for a Flagrant 2 foul, while Jokić and Williams were assessed offsetting technical fouls.
Key moments that pushed the game to overtime
The regulation period reached a dramatic conclusion when Jokić tied the game in the final minute of regulation. One account notes he tied it with 38 seconds left, while another account lists the tying basket at 37 seconds; the provided context contains both timings. Denver generated two crucial defensive stops in the last 30 seconds of regulation, including Christian Braun blocking a step-back shot on one possession and then forcing the ball loose before the buzzer. Alex Caruso drove to the basket in the final seconds of regulation, but his shot bounced off the rim at the buzzer and the game went to extra time.
Player performances and statistical notes
Nikola Jokić finished with a triple-double: 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists, while shooting 9 of 25 from the field and 2 of 10 from three-point range in one accounting of his night. Jamal Murray led all scorers with 39 points; Christian Braun added 23 points and eight rebounds. One summary notes that only two other Nuggets scored more than seven points. The Nuggets had led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter but could not hold the advantage.
For Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander marked his return from an abdominal strain that had kept him out since 3 February — he had missed nine games — by scoring 36 points and handing out nine assists in 34 minutes. Chet Holmgren contributed 15 points, 21 rebounds and three blocks. Alex Caruso, Jaylin Williams and Jared McCain provided pivotal bench plays; the Thunder scored the first five points of overtime and closed out the win behind that depth.
Injury management, minutes and coaching context
The reigning Most Valuable Player had been out since sustaining the abdominal strain on 3 February and missed nine games prior to this return. Gilgeous-Alexander played 34 minutes but remained on the bench in overtime; one account specifies he missed all of overtime because of a minutes restriction, while another notes he was pulled after regulation. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault had stated before tip that Gilgeous-Alexander’s minutes were not hard-capped at any number, a detail that sits alongside the later limitation on his overtime availability.
Nuggets coach David Adelman criticized his team's starts to the second and fourth quarters and signaled concern about rotation timing and player fatigue, saying he had put players back in too early and needed better performances from the personnel coming off the bench.
Game impact, standings and broader notes
The overtime victory kept the Thunder at 46-15 and two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the top record in the Western Conference. The Nuggets sit at 37-23 and are tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for fourth place in the West in the provided context. The contest was played at Paycom Center and has been framed as a potential playoff-meeting preview between two teams with growing physicality in their matchups.
Other incidents and unresolved details in the provided context
- Early in the game, one account says Jokić shoved a player identified as Isaiah Harten on an OKC possession; the provided context is incomplete on that item and remains unclear in the provided context.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander opened his scoring with a layup and was assessed an early technical foul for throwing the ball at Jokić after contact was made post-play, as described in the provided context.
- One replay description in the provided context characterizes a side of Jokić as 'frankly terrifying, ' reflecting the intensity of the confrontation sequence.
Recent updates in the provided context present slightly differing timings and explanations around late-game events and minute management; those differences are noted above rather than reconciled beyond what the context supplies.
