Latest Dust-Up Between Nikola Jokić, Lu Dort Had Much Less Dramatic Outcome

The Thunder beat the Nuggets on Monday night in a tremendous display of competition between two of the best teams the Western Conference has to offer. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the big star of the night, writing his name in the NBA history books alongside Wilt Chamberlain and draining a game-winning three to top off an incredible contest. It was an invigorating playoff rematch from a conference semifinals series that went seven games last year, and served as a possible preview for this year’s postseason gauntlet.

The game also brought us another episode of the Lu Dort-Nikola Jokić rivalry. Dort caused quite the stir the last time Oklahoma City and Denver met in February, when he earned an ejection for a flagrant-2 foul for tripping the MVP big man. It elicited a furious reaction the likes of which we rarely see from Jokić and Nuggets coach David Adelman still felt it necessary to hammer home how “malicious” the move was several days after the fact. Late in Monday’s contest, history seemed ready to repeat itself.

With the Nuggets trailing by seven points with just over a minute remaining, Dort tried to get around a Jokić screen and hit the three-time MVP in the face with a flailing arm. Jokić immediately hit the deck in pain as the referees blew the whistle; Dort was eventually handed a flagrant-1 foul.

Lu Dort received a Flagrant 1 for this foul on Nikola Jokic 😳 pic.twitter.com/NjA8LFFfzE
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 10, 2026

Given the very recent and flammable history between the two teams it seemed quite possible another altercation was brewing. But it wound up much less dramatic. Jokić didn’t get nearly as upset as he did a few weeks ago in the moment. Then, after the game, Dort revealed he’d actually apologized to his rival opponent.

“Just lost in the competition," Dort said to ESPN's Tim MacMahon. “But shook his hand, [said] 'great game' and I apologized that that happened.”

The star defender further clarified he had no ill intent and contended it should not have been a flagrant foul.

“I didn't mean to hit him in the face," Dort said. “But when I go over screens and stuff like that, my arms are just everywhere, and then unfortunately I just hit him in the face. ... I didn't think it was a flagrant 1. Unnecessary means I did [it] on purpose, which I didn't.”

Jokić took it in stride and made it clear after the loss he’s moved on since the last incident.

“No,” said the MVP big man when asked if Dort crossed a line on Monday night. “It was over since last time.”

Cooler heads prevailed this time around. For the most part.

Nuggets coach unhappy with latest hard foul by Dort on Jokić

While Jokić appears to have accepted Dort’s apology, Adelman was frustrated with the foul and said as much to reporters after the game.

“I'm done talking about that,” the coach said during his postgame availability. “It's every time we play them. You got to move past it and try to win the game. ... His arm flailed. It happened to catch him in the face. That's all I'll say.”

Dort’s physical style of play is what makes him such an effective defender. But in the last two games against Denver he’s gotten far too physical for the referees’ liking—and certainly for Adelman’s. The Denver coach blasted Dort’s foul in February as a “cheap shot” before his frustrated quote above. A few days later Dort admitted he went “over the line.”

New chapters of the Nuggets-Thunder rivalry continue to be written this season. Monday night was another. Their final game will come on Apr. 10 with the regular season winding down and if playoff seeding is tight it could provide yet another extremely competitive, physical display of basketball. Given how the last two games have gone it will be must-watch television.

Nuggets coach unhappy with latest hard foul by Dort on Jokić

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