Nikola Jokic slammed Luguentz Dort for what he deemed to be an "unnecessary" foul in the aftermath of the Denver Nuggets' bad-tempered 127-121 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 36 points and nine assists on his return from injury as the Thunder improved their league-leading record to 46-15, dropping the Nuggets to 37-23 in the process. 

But one of the standout moments in the game concerned three-time MVP Jokic, who was tripped by Dort with 8:03 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Jokic sprung to his feet and angrily confronted Dort, pushing his chest into the Thunder guard and prompting a wider confrontation involving players from both teams.

Thunder centre Jaylin Williams intervened and became embroiled in a shoving match with Jokic, resulting in double technical fouls being called on the players, while Dort was ejected for his initial trip.

And Jokic was still furious after the game, saying: "It's an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction. 

"There is no such thing – there are not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. So, it was just an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction by me."

The @nuggets' Nikola Jokić in February:

25.6 PPG
14.0 RPG
9.6 APG

The only other player in NBA history to average 25/14/9 in a month (min. 5 games) was Wilt Chamberlain in March 1968. pic.twitter.com/1Yekx6zEVk

— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) February 28, 2026

Despite the defeat, Jokic finished with 23 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists – his 22nd triple-double of the season. That is twice as many as the next-most in the league (Jalen Johnson, with 11 for the Atlanta Hawks).

Throughout February, Jokic averaged 25.6 points, 14 rebounds and 9.6 assists per game. The only other player in NBA history to average 15/14/9 throughout a calendar month when playing at least five games was Wilt Chamberlain in March 1968.

Thunder coach Mark Daigneault was unconvinced by Dort's ejection, saying he now expects his players to receive the same protection as Jokic moving forward.

"I will say this: If [Williams] is running up the floor and gets tripped, we expect a flagrant 2 from this point forward," Mark Daigneault said. "That's all. 

"If that's the precedent, if that becomes a malicious play and flagrant 2 is the line in the sand on that, we would expect that. We would expect that if it's anybody. And if that's the case, we're good."

Daigneault was then asked if he believed the ejection came about because the foul was on a star name like Jokic. He replied: "No, I'm not going to answer the question like that. I said what I needed to say about it."