The last time the Nuggets-Thunder clashed, Nikola Jokic wore all of his emotions on his sleeve. Anger was one of them, after Lu Dort appeared to intentionally go after the Joker’s injured left knee. The Thunder’s defensive stalwart admitted going ‘over the line’. But it appears he’s still not willing to let Jokic off without some bruises whenever they play.

The repeat clash tonight produced yet another thriller. The three-time MVP was sensational, but was interrupted by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s historic night. However, the focus here is on Dort getting another hit on Nikola Jokic.

With a minute remaining and Dort guarding Jamal Murray, the Thunder guard tried to go over Jokic’s screen. In doing so, he flared his arms in the air, striking the Nuggets cornerstone in his face. After a few blurry moments, the officials reviewed the play. Lu Dort was assessed with a flagrant one for his violent play against Nikola Jokic.

Tensions didn’t need to be contained this time. The Joker didn’t react with any frustration, but just went about his day. The Nuggets talisman tried to best to will the team back into the contest. Jokic scored 11 of his 32 points in the fourth quarter, missing just one shot in the period. The All-Star center also missed one of the two flagrant foul free throws.

His valiant effort wasn’t enough against the NBA-best Oklahoma City Thunder. Playing without Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, the Thunder still managed to thwart one of their top conference rivals. It marked their 51 win of the season and extended their winning streak to six games.

Fans disgusted by Lu Dort’s foul against Nikola Jokic

NBA fans turned against the Thunder’s Lu Dort for targeting Nikola Jokic over their last two meetings. “Get this dude out of the league,” an outraged fan wrote. Dort has suffered a knock to his reputation with such plays. As a point of attack defender, his physicality and instincts are elite. However, there’s still the occasional questionable play that has led to some criticism.

One of them is fans saying, “Dort is dirty”. The Canadian star recently defended himself against those claims after tripping Jokic when they faced off in February. During this particular instance, Dort’s arms caught Nikola Jokic flush in the face. However, it wasn’t as bad as his first attack on the three-time MVP.

Fans aren’t concerned about that. They’ve seen Lu Dort get away with some hard fouls over the years. And it’s reached a boiling point for some. “This should be a suspension,” a fan reacted. Dort has picked up flagrants in both games against the Nuggets over the past month. There are several other dangerous incidents. Hence, some fans want there to be punishment.

Others advocated for the players to possibly take some action against Lu Dort. “The NBA is so soft. Lu Dort plays like a dirty b—h and everyone just cries rather than putting his little a– on the ground lol,” one fan suggested. Players such as Jeremiah Fears of the Pelicans nearly tried that. But getting into an altercation or responding to Dort’s actions means bringing trouble to yourself. A reaction does seem well warranted. But in the NBA, everybody doing wrong gets some punishment.

So far, it’s too early to say whether the league will make some changes. There are already concerns about the Thunder getting preferential treatment. But is it mostly inclined to Dort? Let us know your views in the comments below.