A fiery showdown between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets boiled over in the final quarter as Lu Dort was ejected following a heated altercation with Nikola Jokic.
The confrontation began when Dort fouled Jokic, prompting the Nuggets superstar to confront him. Officials immediately assessed technical fouls to Jokic and Oklahoma City’s Jaylin Williams, while Dort received a Flagrant 2 foul, resulting in his immediate ejection from the game.
Before his exit, Dort had played 28 minutes, contributing 8 points (3-7 FG, 2-6 3PT), 6 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 steal, but it was his reckless action that overshadowed his performance.
The incident sparked a flurry of reactions on social media. One fan remarked, “Lu Dort just turned the court into a WWE ring tripped Jokic like it was personal. Ejection was deserved, but OKC’s defense is now in jeopardy.”
Another wrote, “Absolutely unacceptable sportsmanship from Dort. He deserves a hefty fine for that stunt. Appalling play.” A third added, “Dort’s ejection was justified tripping could have caused serious injury. The technicals on Jokic and Williams show just how tense the game became.”
The game had been physical and high-stakes from the opening tip-off. Earlier, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was handed a technical foul for protesting a play after Jokic made uncalled contact.
Later, the Denver bench received a technical foul in the third quarter, underlining the intensity of the matchup.
With Dort’s ejection, the Thunder were left reeling in the final stretch, highlighting just how heated this rivalry has become.
