Why was Lu Dort ejected?

Flagrant Foul Ends Thunder Forward’s Night

Late in the fourth quarter of a nationally televised Western Conference matchup, officials assessed a Flagrant 2 foul against Lu Dort for contact on Nikola Jokić. The ruling automatically resulted in an ejection, removing Dort from the game with 8:03 remaining in the period. The play immediately sparked a heated reaction on the court as Jokić and members of both benches converged, and the exchange led to a visible escalation in tensions between the teams.

The incident did not occur in isolation: the game featured other emotional moments that added fuel to the fire, including a technical assessment earlier in the contest for another key Oklahoma City player after a reaction to contact. The ejection and ensuing scuffle gave the matchup the feel of a potential playoff‑style preview between two Western Conference contenders.

Immediate consequences and what to expect next

• Game impact: Oklahoma City lost a defensive wing for the final stretch, which altered rotations and the Thunder’s ability to defend the Nuggets’ star front court.
• League review: because the foul was flagged as a Flagrant 2 and the exchange drew in multiple players, a postgame review by the NBA is possible; additional discipline — fines or suspensions — has not been announced and remains to be determined.
• Bigger picture: the episode underscored the growing intensity between the clubs as both jockey for position in the West; it may draw extra attention the next time these teams meet.

It’s still unclear whether the league will levy further penalties beyond the in‑game ejection. For now, the immediate effect was removing a key defender from a pivotal late‑game stretch and producing a highly charged moment that dominated postgame conversation.