Thunder outlast Nuggets in playoff-like slugfest as Nikola Jokić confronts Lu Dort

The Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets entered the season as the two favorites to win the NBA championship. After all, they have split the last two NBA titles and staged a seven-game second-round classic in last season’s playoffs, which the Thunder eventually won.

Though the matchup has always been competitive, it has rarely featured bad blood. That is, until Friday night.

A tense game between the budding Western Conference rivals spilled into an altercation early in the fourth quarter that involved three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, physical Thunder wing Lu Dort and several other players. Dort was ejected for committing a flagrant 2 foul, and Jokić and Thunder big man Jaylin Williams picked up technical fouls after nearly coming to blows before being separated.

The Thunder ultimately rallied from a 16-point deficit to earn a 127-121 overtime win in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s return after a nine-game absence due to an abdominal strain. The 2025 MVP notched 36 points and nine rebounds in 34 minutes before sitting out the overtime period after hitting his minutes limit. Jokić, the MVP in three of the four seasons before Gilgeous-Alexander won his, posted his typical triple-double — 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists — but shot just 9-of-25 from the field and missed eight of his 10 3s.

The sequence that took this showdown to another level occurred with just over eight minutes remaining in the game after Thunder guard Jared McCain hit a pull-up jumper to give Oklahoma City a 2-point lead. As Jokić turned to trot back on offense, Dort slid over and hit Jokić in the knee. Though the play was initially ruled an offensive foul, Jokić, who is not known for confronting opponents for overly physical play, immediately got in Dort’s face. Williams stepped in to defend his teammate, grabbing Jokić’s jersey as Jokić put his hand on the back of Williams’ throat.

It appeared Jokić wound up to throw a punch as he tried to separate himself from Williams, but held himself back. Jokić glared at Williams before the two were eventually separated.

Lu Dort was ejected after appearing to trip Nikola Jokic on this play.

Nikola Jokic and Jaylin Williams both received technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/ZFyNHpigsM

— ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2026

It was the climax of a game that, from the opening tip, was unusually physical for a late-February matchup. The normally stoic MVP favorites got tangled up less than three minutes into the game when Gilgeous-Alexander pegged the ball at Jokić after the Nuggets center grabbed him after the whistle. Gilgeous-Alexander picked up an early technical foul for it. Three minutes later, Jokić shoved Dort after the two battled for a rebound, prompting Thunder wing Aaron Wiggins to come in and shove Jokić as he jogged down the floor.

For a while, the game settled into a metaphorical heavyweight fight rather than a literal one. The Nuggets led for most of the first three quarters, with Jamal Murray picking up the slack as Jokić struggled from the field. Yet, after Murray hit a 3 from the corner to give Denver an 11-point lead late in the third quarter, the Thunder responded with an 18-4 run to take a 3-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Dort capped the Thunder’s run with a 3 off an offensive rebound and a stepback jumper in the lane.

Neither team led by more than 6 points for the remainder of regulation. Jokić tied the score with a floater with 38 seconds left, and the two teams went to overtime after Denver’s Cam Johnson missed an open 3 and Oklahoma City’s Alex Caruso badly missed a runner in the closing seconds.

With Gilgeous-Alexander sitting on the bench after hitting his minutes limit, the Thunder took control in overtime. Isaiah Joe, a reserve guard who checked in for Gilgeous-Alexander, nailed two 3s in the extra session, including a corner triple that put Oklahoma City up 7 with 58 seconds remaining.

Oklahoma City improved its record to 46-15 and moved back to two games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs for first place in the Western Conference. The Nuggets fell to 37-23 and are tied for fourth place in the conference with the Minnesota Timberwolves. If the standings remained the same, these teams would be in position to meet in the second round.

Just as they did last season.