Dort formally apologizes to Jokic: I didn't intend to hit his face, I don't think it was a Flagrant 1 foul.

On March 10 Beijing time, according to ESPN, Thunder player Dort admitted that he has apologized to Jokic after committing a flagrant foul against him in the fourth quarter for the second time in two weeks.

"Just caught up in the game," Dort told ESPN reporter McMahon, "but I shook his hand, said 'great game,' and apologized for what happened."

In the closing moments of today's game where the Thunder defeated the Nuggets 129‑126, Dort's Flagrant 1 foul did not spark as much controversy as his off‑ball trip on Jokic 10 days ago.

This time, Dort's left arm swung into Jokic's face while trying to navigate around Jokic's screen. After review, referees called a Flagrant 1 foul, resulting in Jokic getting one free throw and the Nuggets retaining possession.

"I didn't mean to hit his face," Dort said, "but when I'm moving around screens, my arms are swinging, and unfortunately it hit him... I don't think it was a Flagrant 1."

When asked after the game if this foul crossed a line, Jokic simply replied, "No."

This reaction was completely different from his response on February 28 — when he immediately stood up and confronted Dort, causing a mid‑court commotion, and later called that trip "unnecessary."

"It was over after the last incident," Jokic said when asked after the game if there was any lingering resentment.

Nuggets coach Adelman had harshly criticized Dort after the previous matchup, calling the trip "malicious" and "dirty," and also expressed dissatisfaction with Thunder coach Daigneault's post‑game comments downplaying the incident.

Daigneault stated before today's game that he regretted his initially dismissive attitude.

"Dort also admitted that the move was unnecessary," Daigneault said. "Honestly, my post‑game comments at that time didn't help and were poorly timed. I was just trying to protect the team. I've acknowledged that, and we're ready to move forward."

This past history made the context of today's flagrant foul particularly tense, but there was no strong backlash in the Nuggets locker room afterward. Adelman and Nuggets player Gordon both acknowledged that Dort's foul actually gave the Nuggets significant momentum for a comeback.

With 1 minute and 12 seconds left and the Nuggets trailing by 7 points, Dort was called for a Flagrant 1 foul. Jokic made one free throw and then hit a three‑pointer on the extra possession, cutting the deficit to 3 points. The Nuggets tied the game with 8.5 seconds left thanks to a Jokic three‑pointer and an off‑ball foul against Murray.

But Alexander hit a step‑back three‑pointer with 2.7 seconds left to seal the victory, concluding this matchup filled with the Dort‑Jokic rivalry.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," Adelman said. "Every time we play them, this happens. You have to move on and try to win... His arm swung and happened to hit the face. That's all I'll say."

The Thunder are 3‑0 against the Nuggets this season. Their fourth and final matchup this season will be on April 11, two days before the regular season ends.