Saturday night’s NBA clash between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Washington Wizards felt like a PPV from UFC or WWE. A few bumps suddenly escalated to players brawling on top of the fans sitting courtside. Four players were ejected, and the officials clarified exactly what transpired.

At the baseline, Thunder forward Jaylin Williams and Wizards forward Justin Champagnie bumped a couple of times. Then it escalated. Ajay Mitchell got involved shortly after, exchanging words and getting mushed in his face. Forward Anthony Gill and guard Cason Wallace weren’t far behind as security officials and coaches entered to control the situation. After the review, four players were ejected.

Crew Chief John Goble first answered about two technical fouls each for Champagnie and Williams in the pool report interview. “Initially Champagnie and Williams were assessed technical fouls for pushing each other during the dead ball,” Goble said. “Champagnie was then assessed a second technical foul for making contact to Mitchell’s face. During review, a second technical foul was assessed to Williams for his actions during the scrum.”

Then the question was about Wallace and Mitchell’s ejection. “They were ejected for not acting as peacemakers and escalating the altercation,” said Goble. The final question was about Gill avoiding a technical foul. “It was observed that Wallace pushed Gill into the altercation, and after falling to the floor, it was not observed that Gill did anything in an unsportsmanlike manner to assess a penalty.”

Quick intervention by official Nate Green, who pulled Champagnie away, prevented further escalation, though Mitchell appeared frustrated after taking a blow and attempting retaliation before being restrained. The delay halted play for about 11 minutes.

The Thunder coach disagreed with the official’s decision

It’s becoming a recurring issue: OKC players involved in brawls. While their defensive abilities lead opponents to complain, Thunder stars don’t shy away from taking it a step further. This was the third skirmish since January. The first one was on January 27, when Thunder guard Lu Dort and New Orleans rookie Jeremiah Fears had a postgame altercation.

The league took appropriate action, fining two players $25,000 each. In February, Dort was ejected after tripping Denver center Nikola Jokic. In fact, even then, Williams came to his teammates’ rescue. But he and Jokic were assessed technical fouls. While Thunder has been found guilty on both occasions above, this time the head coach defended his players.

“I disagreed with their judgment after talking to them and watching it at halftime,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said to the media. He was also near the center court at halftime for an extended discussion about the sequence, trying to understand what went wrong. While the impact of ejections during the regular season can be minimized, during the playoffs, with already heightened intensity, these issues could hamper their ability to retain.

Even after losing three key rotation players in Williams, Mitchell, and Wallace for the entire second half, the Thunder didn’t miss a beat. They took control in the fourth quarter, powered by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 40-point performance, and cruised to a 132-111 win. That victory pushed their winning streak to 11 games, while the Wizards’ struggles continued with a 15th straight loss.

Still, this kind of incident isn’t something the Thunder can just brush off. They’re in the middle of a tight race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and currently sit at the top with a dominant record. That position is huge, especially with home-court advantage on the line throughout the playoffs.

The concern is what comes next. Situations like this often lead to league review, and possible suspensions could hurt. Losing players like Wallace, who’s become a key defensive presence, or Williams, who brings versatility and energy off the bench, even for a game or two, could make a difference down the stretch.

For a team with championship ambitions, staying locked in and avoiding these kinds of distractions will be just as important as what they do on the court.