Friday night's NBA slate featured a showdown between the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two teams have developed a rivalry in recent years, and with each matchup, the games are becoming more intense.
Tension rose Friday when Nuggets center Nikola Jokic ran onto the court. The Thunder's Lu Dort supported Jokic, causing him to fall to the floor. Jokic stood up and punched Dort in anger. Jaylin Williams attempted to interfere, and he and Jokic shoved and grabbed each other's jerseys before officials and team personnel separated them.
The normally mild-mannered Jokic took some time to address the tense situation after the game.
"Unnecessary move, and a necessary reaction," Jokic said. "There's no such thing - I think things like that shouldn't happen on a basketball floor. So it was just an unnecessary step and a necessary reaction by me."
Tension rises in battle between Nuggets, Thunder
After a video review, officials upgraded the foul on Dort to a flagrant 2, triggering an automatic ejection with 8:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. Crew chief James Williams said the contact was unnecessary, excessive and had a high potential for injury. Jokic and Williams each received technical fouls for their roles in the ensuing scandal.
Lu Dort was ejected after fouling Nikola Jokic on this play.
Nikola Jokic and Jaylin Williams both received technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/ZFyNHpigsM
- ESPN (@espn) 28 February 2026
Despite the fourth quarter struggles, Jokic recorded a triple-double, finishing with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Jamal Murray led Denver in scoring with 39 points in 47 minutes.
The Nuggets ultimately fell behind, falling 121–127 in overtime.
The Nuggets and Thunder will face each other twice before the end of the regular season. The way things went on Friday, the last two matches between these teams are shaping up to be completely cinematic.
