The Los Angeles Clippers hosted the reigning champions in what was billed as a clash between youthful energy and veteran experience. But midway through the game, the Oklahoma City Thunder took a hit when Lu Dort exited for the locker room with an apparent shoulder injury. The guard left in the second half with OKC up nearly 20 points, and minutes later, the team ruled him out for the remainder of the contest.

Before his exit, Dort logged 6 points and 3 rebounds on 2-of-4 shooting in 15 minutes. His brief return to the bench near the end of regulation only deepened the confusion, as he remained unavailable to play.

Despite Dort’s absence, the Thunder showed no signs of a championship hangover. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way with 30 points and 12 assists, orchestrating the offense with trademark composure. He got strong support from Isaiah Joe (22 points), Cason Wallace (12), Chet Holmgren (11), and Isaiah Hartenstein (10) as Oklahoma City cruised to a 126–107 win over the Clippers.

On the Clippers side, James Harden had a vintage statline going 25 points and 6 rebounds and assists a piece. Chris Paul had a surprising zero points in the 10 minutes he was on the floor while Derrick Jones and John Collins had 16 and 17 points respectively.

The severity of his injury hasn’t been revealed. It’s unclear if he’d be returning tomorrow against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Luguentz Dort’s a key figure in the OKC lineup. Yet he’s been on a shooting slump recently. That hasn’t dulled his abilities as a defensive stopper which is benefiting the team in other ways.

Lu Dort is in a funk this season

While the Oklahoma City Thunder is extending its undefeated streak to 8-0, Lu Dort showed signs of that dreaded post-championship plateau. He seemed to struggle to find his rhythm at the start of the 2025-26 season.

Last season, Dort was a 41.2% from the 3-point line and took the second most triples per game on average. So far this season, his shooting has dropped to 17.9% from the 3-point range, with 5.6 attempts each night.

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Dort was someone the team could always count on when injuries struck or the key offensive players needed rest. His role appears to be different this season. He’s enabling Cason Wallace to become a true defensive juggernaut for the team.

Wallace has gone from averaging 1.8 steals to 3.0 in OKC’s 8-0 start. According to coach Mark Daigneault, he spent the past year studying other players with Dort and Alex Caruso to sharpen his instincts.

It cements Dort’s locker room presence as much as on the floor. While he hasn’t found a groove yet, he’s necessary for the title defense. So we’d be keeping a keen eye on the OKC injury report ahead of the next game.