Lu Dort and Jeremiah Fears Fined After Heated On-Court Exchange

Oklahoma City Thunder veteran Lu Dort and New Orleans Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears have each been fined $25,000 by the NBA for their involvement in a physical altercation following Tuesday’s game at the Paycom Center. The incident occurred after the final buzzer of the Thunder’s 104-95 victory.

The Incident Unfolds

The scuffle began with a verbal exchange between Dort and Fears. The situation escalated quickly when Lu Dort shoved Jeremiah Fears, prompting both teams’ benches to clear. Security personnel intervened to separate the players, with Fears being escorted through the player tunnel towards the visiting team’s locker room while visibly agitated.

Fears’ Social Media Response

Hours after the game, Fears took to Instagram to comment on a post depicting the scuffle. He responded to the photo with a scathing remark, calling Dort “soft [as hell],” accompanied by three crying-laughing emojis. This online exchange further fueled the controversy surrounding the incident.

Coach Daigneault’s Perspective

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault addressed the situation, stating he wasn’t entirely surprised given the game’s escalating tensions. He pointed to a prior incident involving Jaylin Williams and Saddiq Bey as a catalyst for the later altercation. Daigneault also criticized the referees for losing control of the game in the final minutes.

“Two things on it. The first one is: I thought good guys, good crew, but I thought they lost control of the game in the final minutes. That altercation at the end started well before that with the Bey and J-Will situation. I thought they could have managed that cleaner,” Daigneault said. He also believed a foul should have been called on Dort earlier in the sequence, which could have prevented the escalation.

“And if it was, they should put a whistle on that play regardless of the score and the time, because if they do that, everybody stops playing, and you can legislate the situation as you normally would. But, because they didn’t put a whistle on it, it’s the end of the game. You can do nothing about it, and you end up with that situation,” Daigneault concluded.

Looking Ahead

This was the final regular-season meeting between the Thunder and the Pelicans. The incident highlights the intensity of competition in the NBA and the importance of maintaining composure on the court. The NBA will likely monitor the situation closely to prevent further escalation. For more NBA news and analysis, visit NBA.com.

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