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Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets is a three-time NBA MVP.
As the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder battled in what would become an overtime thriller, a short-lived scuffle between Nikola Jokic, Lu Dort, and other members of the Thunder ensued.
After the situation was broken up, Dort was assessed a Flagrant 2 foul, which led to an ejection. After it went down, the scene went viral on social media due to Jokic’s reaction and how heated he got.
Following the game, Jokic made his feelings clear on the situation.
Nikola Jokic Addresses The Battle Against The OKC Thunder
GettyNikola Jokic was involved in an on-court altercation with members of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, February 28. He was not ejected from the game, which turned out to be an overtime thriller.
“It is what it is,” Jokic told reporters after the game.
“I’m not really going to comment on it. It was an unnecessary move and an unnecessary reaction. I think there are not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. It was just an unnecessary move and an unnecessary reaction by me.”
“Unnecessary move and a necessary reaction.”
“I think there’s not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. So it was just an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction by me.”
– Nikola Jokic on Lou Dort’s cheap shot
Following the game, the official crew chief, James Williams, explained the decision to toss Dort from the matchup.
“Lu Dort was assessed a Flagrant foul penalty 2 because we deemed his contact on Jokic to be unnecessary and excessive with a high potential for injury,” Williams explained in a pool report.
“Also, because the contact led to an altercation that did not dissolve. So, by rule, a Flagrant foul penalty 2 carries an automatic ejection.”
More Nuggets News: Nikola Jokic Goes Viral for Heated Reaction in Nuggets-Thunder
Jokic retaliated in the moment, even getting into it with Jaylin Williams, which raised questions about his lack of ejection.
“When we reviewed that play, we did not see any actions by either player that would have risen to the level of an ejection, which is why both players received unsportsmanlike technical fouls that were offset,” Williams added.
The Nuggets Couldn’t Close It Out
GettyNikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets couldn’t take care of business on the road against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday night on the road.
Despite the Thunder losing a defensive standout in Lu Dort, while a fired-up Nuggets team kept its best player on the floor, the Nuggets couldn’t close out the game on top in overtime.
In the end, OKC defeated Denver with a score of 127-121.
Jokic finished the game with 45 minutes played. He shot 9-25 from the field, scoring 23 points. He wrapped up the game with a triple-double by coming down with 17 rebounds and producing 14 assists.
The Nuggets also received a strong offensive outing from Jamal Murray, who was questionable with an illness heading into the night. The veteran guard checked in for 47 minutes. He shot 12-26 from the field, hitting seven three-pointers. Murray finished the game with 39 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
After the February 27 loss against the Thunder, the Nuggets drop to 37-23 on the year. They will take the court once again on Sunday afternoon for a 3:30 PM ET battle against the Minnesota Timberwolves in Colorado.
Justin Grasso Justin Grasso is an NBA reporter, covering trending league news, transactions, injuries, and player developments. He is a credentialed journalist with nearly a decade of insider access. More about Justin Grasso
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