The Oklahoma City Thunder secured a 127-121 overtime victory over the Denver Nuggets on Friday night, but the game was overshadowed by Lu Dort's flagrant 2 ejection for tripping Nikola Jokić. Officials deemed the contact unnecessary and excessive, leading to technical fouls for Jokić and Jaylin Williams. No suspension for Dort has been announced as of Saturday.
The incident occurred late in the fourth quarter of the Thunder-Nuggets matchup, as Lu Dort appeared to intentionally trip Nikola Jokić while running back up the floor. Video review, including backboard camera angles, confirmed Dort's intent, resulting in a flagrant 2 foul and his automatic ejection. The NBA's pool report, from crew chief James Williams, described the contact as "unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury," factoring in the game's rising tensions.
Jokić, visibly furious, confronted Dort, leading to a brief altercation involving Thunder forward Jaylin Williams. Both received technical fouls, while officials aimed to prevent further escalation. This was not the first clash of the night; earlier in the first quarter, Jokić and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander tangled, earning Gilgeous-Alexander a technical for throwing the ball at Jokić.
Post-game, Jokić called the trip "an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction by me," emphasizing that such actions have no place on the basketball floor. Thunder coach Mark Daigneault defended the ruling's consistency, stating, "If [Jaylin Williams] is running up the floor and gets tripped, we expect a flagrant 2 from this point forward." He declined to speculate if the call was influenced by Jokić's stardom.
Despite the controversy, the Thunder rallied without Dort. Alex Caruso hit two crucial three-pointers late in regulation to force overtime, where bench players like Cason Wallace, Caruso, and Isaiah Joe led the offense after resting Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 36 points in 34 regulation minutes upon returning from injury. Dort had contributed eight points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal in 28 minutes before his ejection.
As of early Saturday, February 28, 2026, the NBA has not announced any suspension or fine for Dort, though the league may review the play further. The Thunder's next game is Sunday at Dallas, with a rematch against Denver scheduled for March 9 in Oklahoma City. This heated encounter echoes last year's Western Conference semifinals, where Oklahoma City defeated Denver in seven games.
