Nikola Jokić spoke out after a heated argument with Tander
Friday night’s NBA slate featured a matchup between Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The two teams have developed a rivalry in recent years, and with each match, the games seem to get more intense.
Tensions boiled over on Friday when Nuggets center Nikola Jokić ran onto the field. Thunder’s Lou Dort ran into Jokić and threw him to the floor. Jokić stood up and angrily punched Dort in the chest. Jaylin Williams tried to intervene, and he and Jokic exchanged punches and grabbed each other’s jerseys before officials and team personnel separated them.
The normally mild-mannered Jokić took a moment to say yes deal with a tense situation postgame.
“An unnecessary move, but a necessary reaction,” said Jokić. “There is no such thing – I don’t think there should be those things on the basketball court. So it was just an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction from me.”
Tensions are boiling in the battle between the Nuggets and the Thunder
After video review, the officials upgraded the foul against Dort to a flagrant 2, prompting an automatic ejection with 8:03 left in the fourth quarter. Crew chief James Williams said the contact was unnecessary, excessive and carried a high potential for injury. Jokic and Williams received technical fouls for their roles in everything that followed.
Lou Dort was ejected after tripping Nikola Jokic on this play.
Nikola Jokic and Jaylin Williams received technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/ZFiNHpigsM
— ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2026
Despite the altercation in the fourth quarter, Jokic would record a triple-double and finish with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists. Jamal Murray was the best in Denver with 39 points in 47 minutes.
The Nuggets would end up coming up short, falling in overtime 121-127.
The Nuggets and Thunder will face off two more times before the end of the regular season. As things played out on Friday, the last two games between these teams are shaping up to be absolute cinema.
2026-02-28 14:02:00
