The Nuggets’ late-season slog with the Thunder was worth a shot: The main characters have traded seven-game Western Conference semifinals and hard-fought matchups last year. Yet nothing in their common history in recent memory prepared the hoops habitués for a chippy overtime thriller at the weekend. When the smoke cleared, the defending champions took a 127-121 victory that could have gone the other way and ultimately mattered more than the final score.
At one point in the set-to, the Nuggets led by 16 points and looked poised to fend off a resurgent Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who returned from injury with 36 points, returned, while the visitors relied on the explosion of Jamal Murray with 39 points and the double-double of Nikola Jokić (23 points, 17 rebounds, 14 assists). Either way, the game’s defining moment came not in the final bucket or late defensive layup, but in the resulting frustration and borderline tactics.
With just over eight minutes left in the fourth, Jokić was running upfield when Luguentz Dort, known for his defensive pressure and borderline physicality, stuck his right leg out, sending the Nuggets’ Most Valuable Player award to the floor. The bench cleared, tempers flared, and a midfield scrum had the referees reviewing the incident. Accordingly, the instigator was assessed as a Flagrant 2 insult and discharged.
Jokić’s reaction (chest bursting followed by lively confrontation) was revealing as an act of outrage. “It’s an unnecessary step and a necessary reaction,” he said afterwards, describing his response as natural, self-defensive and, no doubt, indicative of the competition inherent in the game. “I think those things shouldn’t be on the floor of basketball,” he added, highlighting how some outrageous gambling, even in the modern era of the National Football League’s loose cannons, crosses an invisible line.
The incident also highlighted the broader narrative. Despite preferring to pass or skip instead of fighting in and between the lanes, the Nuggets had to deal with the physicality that defines the Thunder’s basket style. Head coach David Adelman acknowledged Jokić’s frustration, noting that big men often feel the pain of meaningless contact at the basket. And, he suggested, this is true even for those who command as much attention as a seven-foot star.
For the Thunder, the dismissal of Dort, whose reputation as a surprise defender precedes him, was a punishment and indicative of the league’s ongoing struggle to balance physical defense with player safety. As chief of staff James Williams noted, the contact was “unnecessary and exceeded the potential for injury.” Which was true, to be sure. Having said that, it is true and it felt like the decision was out of the ordinary; such dirty line games often fall through the cracks.
For the record, it was Gilgeous-Alexander’s comeback and the Thunder’s depth that put the win in overtime. If nothing else, the result reminded all and sundry where the Larry O’Brien Trophy sits. For the Nuggets, on the other hand, the loss exposed a trend that has been concerning since Jokić’s return from injury: They were terrible in possession situations.
Still, the impression from the Paycom center wasn’t one of a buzzer-beater or a clutch defense platform. It was Jokić’s, mouth open in anger, standing with Dort. And in a league in the market for precision and eloquence, it was a grim reminder that, too often, the game boils down to critical reaction and pride of place.
Anthony L. Cuaycong was writing The court since BusinessWorld launched the Sports category in 1994. He is a consultant in strategic planning, operations and human resources management, business communication, and business development.
