NBA: Thunder roast Nuggets in OT, Shai lights the fuse

A whiff of playoffs in February

It’s late February. In Oklahoma City it already smelled like May.

The Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets 127-121 after overtime in an electric, physical, tense game. Technicals. An ejection. Push-and-shove. In short, spring basketball ahead of schedule.

And at the heart of it, the boss returned.

Shai back — 36 points and a message

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hadn’t played in nine games, sidelined with an abdominal strain. His name was called. The crowd went ballistic.

Result: 36 points, 9 assists, 3 rebounds. 18 in the first half, 14 in the third. He attacked Denver’s defense without hesitation, ripping drives and mid-range pull-ups.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 36 PTS, 9 AST, 2 STL, 2 BLK, 12/29 FG, 51.8% TS vs Nuggets https://t.co/Km8Gxez4yg pic.twitter.com/oyLoIjL0jV

— Basketball Performances (@NBAPerformances) February 28, 2026

And yet — weird twist — he didn’t play in overtime.

OKC closed it out without him.

A sign. This collective no longer rides solely on its reigning MVP.

Jokic-Dort: the spark that lit it up

Turning point? Middle of the fourth.

Lu Dort sets a violent, over-the-line screen on Nikola Jokic. Flagrant 2. Immediate ejection.

A scuffle breaks out at midcourt. Technicals handed to Jokic and Jaylin Williams. The temperature spikes.

Lu Dort was ejected after appearing to trip Nikola Jokic on this play.

Nikola Jokic and Jaylin Williams both received technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/ZFyNHpigsM

— ESPN (@espn) February 28, 2026

After the game, Jokic didn’t mince words.
“This has no place on a basketball court.”

The Serb still posted a triple-double: 23 points, 17 rebounds, 14 assists. But he was off — 9-of-25 shooting, 2-of-10 from deep. Denver led. Denver controlled. Then Denver unraveled.

The difference? OKC’s depth

Across the way, Jamal Murray poured in 39 despite being listed sick before tip. He carried Denver when the offense bogged down.

But in OT the Nuggets made small, costly errors. Bad spacing. Rushed shots. Turnovers.

The Thunder mixed looks. Switched pace. Rode their rotation. Even with Shai off the floor.

Mark Daigneault hammered home the intensity and the collective consistency after the game. And the record speaks: 46 wins, 15 losses. Two games clear of the Spurs.

Coach Daigneault on Lu Dort’s ejection:

“I will say this… if a player is running up the floor and gets tripped, we expect a Flagrant 2 from this point forward. That’s all. That’s the precedent.” https://t.co/lCMIGFXGHR

— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 28, 2026

Denver heads to Minnesota on Sunday.
OKC travels to Dallas.

But everyone’s already thinking about something else.

A possible playoff revenge.

What if tonight was just a taste?

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