Shai Gilgeous-Alexander given technical foul for throwing ball at Nikola Jokic

On Friday, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder took on the Denver Nuggets. A much hyped matchup between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. During the game, tensions rose between the two superstars.

As SGA was pushing the ball and guarded by Jokic, SGA was seen throwing the ball at Jokic, per ClutchPoints. As a result, he was rendered with a technical foul.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was given a technical foul after throwing the ball at Nikola Jokic

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— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 28, 2026

The Thunder entered the game with the best record in the NBA at 45-15 and had won six of their last 10 games. SGA is the defending NBA MVP and is averaging 31.8 points and 6.4 assists per game.

Furthermore, he is in a tight race for MVP alongside Jokic according to an ESPN poll. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are 37-22 and are ranked fourth in the Western Conference. Also, Jokic is averaging 28.8 points and 10.4 assists per game.

The Thunder are looking to repeat as NBA champions. At the same time, the Nuggets are looking to bounce back from a seven-game loss to the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of the playoffs last season.

Even with the technical foul, SGA and Jokic have shown mutual respect in various capacities. Jokic openly complimented SGA’s abilities in a TikTok video. Many experts are also anticipating SGA and Jokic going down to the wire in the NBA MVP.

SGA is looking to be the first back-to-back MVP since Jokic in 2021 and 2022.

On Sunday, the Thunder will hit the road to play against the Dallas Mavericks. After that, they will play the Chicago Bulls on the road.

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