Okc Thunder 127, Nuggets 121: Dort ejected after Jokic confrontation
A fourth-quarter skirmish between Nikola Jokic and Lu Dort ended with Dort ejected and the okc thunder pulling away in overtime for a 127-121 victory. The incident, which began when Dort tripped Jokic, produced a Flagrant 2 on Dort and matching technical fouls on Jokic and Jaylin Williams, and punctuated a game with playoff implications.
How the on-court confrontation unfolded in the fourth quarter
Nikola Jokic was jogging up the floor after Oklahoma City scored when Lu Dort stuck out his right leg, tripping the three-time MVP in what was at least described as a hip check with an outstretched leg. Jokic got back to his feet and angrily confronted Dort, putting his chest into the Thunder wing.
Oklahoma City center Jaylin Williams came to Dort’s defense and exchanged shoves with Jokic during the brief altercation at midcourt. Players and coaches from both teams rushed to midcourt, it took a while before Jokic and Williams were pried loose, and the sequence escalated before officials reviewed the play.
Officials upgrade the foul; ejection and technicals
After review, officials upgraded Dort’s initial common foul to a Flagrant 2, resulting in his automatic ejection. Crew chief James Williams said that Dort’s contact on Jokic was deemed "unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury, " and that the contact led to an altercation that did not dissolve.
Jokic and Jaylin Williams were assessed matching unsportsmanlike technical fouls that offset, and both were allowed to remain in the game. Jokic did not throw a punch when he took a swipe at Williams with his left hand; when reviewing the play, the crew did not see actions by either player that would have risen to the level of an ejection. The NBA rulebook notes that a punch is automatically punished by an ejection and a suspension of at least one game.
Jokic’s response and player availability after the incident
Nikola Jokic was brief but direct about the incident, calling it "Unnecessary move and a necessary reaction, " and adding that he felt such contact should not occur on a basketball floor. Jokic said he was confident he would not be ejected because "I didn't do nothing, " and when asked about the situation escalating with Williams he declined further comment, saying "it's not worth it. "
Neither Lu Dort nor Jaylin Williams were made available for comment by the Thunder after the game.
Okc Thunder depth, returns and individual stat lines
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 due to a minutes restriction. Chet Holmgren finished with 15 points, 21 rebounds and 3 blocks, and Oklahoma City's depth — including contributions from Jaylin Williams, Alex Caruso and Jared McCain — proved decisive in the extra period.
Game flow, final margin and standings implications
The game went to overtime after Jokic tied the score with 38 seconds left in regulation. The extra five minutes were one-sided in favor of the Thunder, who shut down the Nuggets and won 127-121 in overtime.
Nikola Jokic finished the night with 23 points on 9-of-25 shooting, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Jamal Murray led all scorers with 39 points, and only two other Nuggets scored more than seven points. Denver had led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter before Oklahoma City mounted its comeback.
The win keeps the Thunder at 46-15, two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the best record in the West, while the Nuggets are tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves for fourth place at 37-23.
Coaches and teammates react to a chippy rivalry
Nuggets forward Cam Johnson said he did not see the sequence because his back was turned but called Dort's act "a cheap shot enough for (Dort) to be thrown out. " Thunder coach Mark Daigneault described the game as "chippy, " noting the teams had played a seven-game series, are in the same division and have met roughly 100 times; he said, "I know Lu. I know Jokic. I know J-Will. I don't think anybody was trying to hurt anybody. They're just great competitors. It just boiled over. "
Daigneault added that if a Thunder player like J-Will is tripped while running up the floor, "we expect a flagrant two from this point forward, " and declined to answer when asked whether Dort's ejection was influenced by Jokic's status as a three-time MVP. Nuggets coach David Adelman said he still needed to rewatch the incident.
