Luguentz Dort, the Thunder’s veteran swingman, has come under the public’s scrutiny after an incident with Nikola Jokic that triggered a major scuffle during the defending champions’ most recent fixture against the Nuggets.
He spoke to The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi and confessed that he felt he crossed a line.
“It was a physical game throughout the whole game,” Dort told The Athletic. “Obviously, that was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have done. I got the worst of it by getting thrown out of the game. But yeah, it was a high-level game. I’m a competitor, so I compete.”
“That’s a physical game, and there are limits to it. And, I went over the limit,” Dort later added.
Jokić and Thunder get HEATED after Lu Dort flagrant 😳
Dort was ejected from the game pic.twitter.com/Mrz52EvLFR
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 28, 2026
“Every time we play against each other, it’s always a battle,” Dort said of his Thunder’s meetings with the Nuggets. “(His flagrant foul on Jokić) has nothing to do with going against that team. We love going against that team. It’s always a nice matchup whenever we play against them, and it’s fun.”
“They were right,” Dort said upon hearing Jokić’s reaction. “That was an unnecessary move by me, something I shouldn’t have done.”
“I have a tough job, guarding the best players every night,” Dort said. “It’s not easy. Obviously, I play hard. I’m a physical player. It’s what I do for my team, and sometimes people think it’s too much, but it’s always (within) the rules of the game.”
The 26-year-old Thunder veteran has often come under scrutiny for being a “dirty” player. But he feels he’s not playing with the intention of hurting anybody.
“I don’t think I’m dirty,” he said. “I can’t control the media. The media always wants to have some type of attention or anything. They want that buzz. I can’t control that.”
“I’ve been doing well with this organization for years now. I’m happy with how I play and what I do with my teammates. I go out there and compete every night. So, I’m gonna keep doing what I do on the court, and then let the media judge the way they want to judge.”
“I’m not dirty,” he said as he walked away from the reporter.
Lu Dort finished the game with eight points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal while shooting 3-7 from the floor (42.7 FG%) before being ejected from the game.
Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic had 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 14 assists while going 9-25 from the field (36.0 FG%) and 2-10 from beyond the arc (20.0 FG%). But the triple-double became fruitless as the Nuggets lost the game 121-127.
David Adelman Responds To Thunder’s Lu Dort With A Cold Statement
Following these comments by Dort, David Adelman, who previously called the incident malicious and “a cheap shot”, along with Bruce Brown and Jonas Valanciunas, were informed about the Thunder veteran’s mea culpa statement.
The Nuggets’ trio coldly shut down claims that it means anything for Dort to admit his mistake now. All three said “no” with no further comment. Adelman thinks such plays are only a part of the type of ugly defensive strategies Jokic faces on a nightly basis.
He elaborated on why he doesn’t mind Nikola Jokic complaining to officials during the game.
“Nobody’s being guarded like him in the league. Nobody. Nobody’s going to the knees of other MVPs. Nobody’s taking the shots like he’s taking. But that’s our reality.”
“We have to continue to just try to win games. He has to play through the physicality. I have to find places on the floor where he can play with some space. That’s on me. There’s no excuse; if it doesn’t happen, it doesn’t happen.”
“I have no problem with him reacting. It’s a part of being human. If it continues, we’ll react accordingly,” Adelman further added.
The Nuggets and the Thunder are set to face off on March 9. It will definitely be an intense matchup given the recent history between the teams. Whether or not Dort faces any further action by the league is yet to be determined, but any further action is highly unlikely at this point.
However, I anticipate a highly dramatic fixture next time the two MVP candidates, Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s teams, lock horns once again.
