Jokic confronts Lu Dort after trip as Thunder beat Nuggets 127-121 in overtime
nikola jokic was at the center of a fourth-quarter skirmish when Luguentz Dort appeared to trip him, drawing a Flagrant 2 ejection for Dort and offsetting technicals for Jokic and Jaylin Williams, as the Oklahoma City Thunder went on to beat the Denver Nuggets 127-121 in overtime in Oklahoma City.
Trip on the break ignites midcourt altercation
The sequence began late in the fourth quarter with Jokic jogging up the floor after Oklahoma City scored when Dort stuck out his right leg and tripped him; officials initially called a common foul before upgrading the play to a Flagrant 2 after a review. Jokic immediately confronted Dort, putting his chest into the Thunder wing, and OKC center Jaylin Williams then pushed back and exchanged shoves with Jokic. It took a while before players and coaches pried the two apart.
Officials, coaches and players weigh the ruling
Crew chief James Williams explained that Dort’s contact on Jokic was judged "unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury" and that the contact led to an altercation that did not dissolve, which prompted the flagrant-2 ejection. Officials concluded Jokic did not throw a punch when he took a swipe at Williams with his left hand, and that neither player’s actions rose to the level of an ejection; both Jokic and Williams received unsportsmanlike technical fouls that were offset.
Jokic responds: ‘Unnecessary move and a necessary reaction’
Jokic characterized the play in concise terms: "Unnecessary move and a necessary reaction. " He said he was confident he would not be ejected because "I didn't do nothing, " and declined to expand on the exchange with Williams, saying "it's not worth it. " Nuggets coach David Adelman said he still needed to rewatch the incident.
Thunder coach, teammates and others call it a chippy game
Thunder coach Mark Daigneault called the matchup "chippy, " noting the teams' recent history — they had met in a seven-game series, play in the same division and have faced each other roughly 100 times — and said he expects flagrant-2 treatment if a player such as J-Will is tripped. When asked if he was insinuating Dort was ejected because a three-time MVP was on the receiving end, Daigneault responded, "I'm not going to answer the question like that. I said what I needed to say about it. " Nuggets forward Cam Johnson said he did not see the play because his back was turned but called it a "cheap shot enough for (Dort) to be thrown out. " Neither Dort nor Jaylin Williams were made available for comment by the Thunder after the game.
Game swings, key plays and player returns
The game itself was a back-and-forth affair: Denver led by as many as 16 points in the first quarter, but Jokic tied the game with 38 seconds left in regulation to send the contest to overtime. The extra five minutes went one way — Oklahoma City scored the first five points in overtime and shut down the Nuggets to secure a 127-121 win. Jokic finished with 23 points on 9-of-25 shooting, 17 rebounds and 14 assists, while Jamal Murray led all scorers with 39 points. Only two other Nuggets scored more than seven points; Chet Holmgren had 15 points, 21 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returns, Caruso and depth decide overtime
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander returned from an abdominal strain sustained on 3 February, having missed nine games, and scored 36 points in 34 minutes before remaining on the bench in overtime due to a minutes restriction; he said, "Felt good" and added, "I'm just thankful to be back. " Earlier, Gilgeous-Alexander was assessed an early technical foul after throwing the ball at Jokic, who had made contact with him after play had stopped. Alex Caruso's late drive at the end of regulation bounced off the rim and sent the game to overtime, and Caruso helped guide the Thunder — with contributions from Williams and Jared McCain — to their sixth win in eight games.
The victory leaves Oklahoma City 46-15 and two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for the top spot in the Western Conference; the Nuggets sit tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves at 37-23. The incident between Dort and Jokic was a flashpoint in a regular-season game that could preview a playoff matchup, and officials and coaches will review the altercation further before the teams meet again.
