Luguentz Dort Rumors

Joel Lorenzi: A lot of confusion here now that we’re at half. Mark Daigneault is at center court with John Goble, presumably to understand the order of ejections. Jalen Williams and Lu Dort also looked to be arguing with the rest of the crew before being ushered away by staff.

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Justin Martinez: Here’s OKC’s injury report for its road game against Brooklyn tonight: Chet Holmgren is questionable. Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein and Lu Dort are out.

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Thunder wing Luguentz Dort said he apologized to Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic after committing a second fourth-quarter flagrant foul on him in the past two weeks. "Just lost in the competition," Dort told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "But shook his hand, [said] 'great game' and I apologized that that happened."

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In this instance, Dort swung his left arm around while trying to navigate a Jokic screen on the wing and whacked Jokic in the face. Officials ruled it a flagrant 1 after review, giving Jokic two free throws and Denver possession. "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."

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Jokic gave a quick "no" response when asked postgame whether he felt this Dort foul crossed the line, different from his reaction to Dort's foul on Feb. 27, when he jumped up and confronted Dort in the moment, creating a scrum at center court, and afterward called Dort's trip "unnecessary." "It was over since last time," Jokic said when asked Monday night whether there remained any hard feelings.

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Bennett Durando: Thunder coach Mark Daigneault pregame: “I do know Lu acknowledged that the play was unnecessary. I don’t think my comments, if I’m being honest, helped after the game. I thought the timing of them was insensitive. I was in the mode of protecting my team moving forward.”

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Justin Martinez: Final: Thunder 103, Knicks 100 Chet Holmgren: 28 points and 8 rebounds Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 26 points and 8 assists Lu Dort: 16 points and 4 rebounds Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby missed a pair of game-tying 3-pointers in the closing seconds. OKC improves to 49-15.

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The word that has perhaps circulated most in the aftermath of Friday’s play? “Dirty.” Dort firmly rejected that label. “I don’t think I’m dirty,” he said. “I can’t control media. 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, 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.” Dort, walking away by then, reiterated his message. “I’m not dirty,” he said.

New York Times

Bennett Durando: David Adelman, Bruce Brown and Jonas Valanciunas spoke to media today after practice. All three were asked by @TroyRenck if Lu Dort's comments to @JoelXLorenzi acknowledging he went "over the limit" mean anything to them. All three said "no" with no further comment.

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After a few days, Dort conceded as much himself. “It was a physical game throughout the whole game,” Dort told The Athletic after Tuesday’s win over the Chicago Bulls. “Obviously, that was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have done. I got the worst of it by getting thrown out the game. But yeah, it was a high-level game. I’m a competitor, so I compete.” He later added: “That’s a physical game and there’s limits to it. And I went over the limit.”

New York Times

Dort committed the most conspicuous non-basketball play in a game laced with inconspicuous shoves and tie-ups. Less than three minutes into the game, reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, whose expressions typically don’t go beyond a sneer, received a technical foul for chucking the ball at Jokić before complaining that the big man shoved him. “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.”

New York Times

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Lu Dort’s flagrant foul on Nuggets star Nikola Jokić, during Friday’s game was one thing. The response that came from the Thunder’s side in the aftermath was another, as the Nuggets are particularly displeased with Thunder coach Mark Daigneault’s response following the game, a team source said.

New York Times

Bennett Durando: With 36 hours of distance from the Nikola Jokic/Lu Dort incident, Nuggets coach David Adelman called it a cheap shot this morning and said it was "ridiculous" for OKC to not think it was a big deal. He spoke about seeing the fiery side of Nikola Jokic come out:

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The fracas began when Dort appeared to trip Jokic as he ran up the court with 8:03 remaining in the fourth quarter. Dort backed into Jokic and stuck out his right foot, knocking down the big man, who quickly pounced to his feet to angrily confront Dort. "It's an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction," Jokic said after the Nuggets' 127-121 overtime loss to the defending champions. "There is no such thing -- I think there's not supposed to be those things on a basketball floor. So, it was just an unnecessary move and a necessary reaction by me."

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