OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort confirmed he extended an apology to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic following their latest on-court incident, which marked the second time in two weeks Dort had been assessed a flagrant foul against Jokic in the final quarter.
“I was simply caught up in the heat of the moment,” Dort shared with Tim MacMahon of ESPN. “However, I shook his hand, complimented his performance, and expressed regret for the incident.”
The flagrant foul committed by Dort during the final moments of the Thunder’s 129-126 victory on Monday evening garnered significantly less controversy and criticism compared to his off-ball tripping of Jokic approximately ten days prior.
During this particular play, Dort rotated his left arm while attempting to maneuver around a screen set by Jokic near the sideline, resulting in him striking Jokic’s face. Following a review, the referees assessed a flagrant 1 foul, awarding Jokic two foul shots and granting Denver ball possession.
“Striking him in the face was not my intention,” Dort stated. “But when I attempt to get past screens and similar actions, my limbs tend to flail, and regrettably, I made contact with his face. … I did not believe it warranted a flagrant 1. The term ‘unnecessary’ implies deliberateness, which was not the case.”
Post-game, Jokic promptly answered “no” when questioned if he believed this recent foul by Dort was excessive, a stark contrast to his response to Dort’s foul on February 27th. That prior incident saw him immediately rise, confront Dort at mid-court, sparking a brief altercation, and later describe Dort’s tripping action as “uncalled for.”
“That particular matter concluded after our last encounter,” Jokic commented on Monday evening when asked if any resentment lingered.
Nuggets head coach David Adelman had previously condemned Dort’s tripping in their initial game, labeling it “vindictive” and a “dirty play.” He also conveyed a degree of annoyance regarding Thunder coach Mark Daigneault’s subsequent post-game comments, which seemed to diminish the severity of the occurrence.
Daigneault acknowledged prior to Monday night’s match that he regretted his initial, dismissive response.
“Lu admitted the action was uncalled for,” Daigneault remarked. “To be frank, I don’t believe my post-game remarks were beneficial. Their timing was rather thoughtless. My mindset was to shield my squad. I’ve recognized that. We are prepared to proceed.”
The cumulative events from recent games established an intense atmosphere for Monday evening’s flagrant foul; however, the Denver locker room exhibited considerably less post-game indignation. Both Adelman and Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon recognized that Dort’s foul ironically propelled Denver’s rally.
With 1:12 remaining, the Nuggets trailed by seven points when Dort was assessed the flagrant foul. Jokic converted one free throw and subsequently sank a three-pointer during the additional possession, narrowing their deficit to three.
Denver achieved parity with 8.5 seconds remaining following a three-pointer by Jokic, coupled with an off-ball foul called against Jamal Murray. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander secured the victory for the Thunder with a stepback three-pointer from the wing with only 2.7 seconds left, concluding an exciting contest further spiced by the ongoing Dort and Jokic narrative.
“My commentary on that subject is complete,” Adelman declared. “It appears to be a consistent theme whenever we face them. One must transcend such matters and concentrate on securing a win. … His arm moved wildly. It unintentionally struck him in the face. That is my entire statement.”
This season, the Thunder hold a 3-0 record over the Nuggets. Their fourth and conclusive encounter is scheduled for April 10, just two days prior to the conclusion of the regular season.
