The Oklahoma City Thunder walked away with a 104-95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans on Tuesday night, but the story didn’t end at the final buzzer. What should’ve been a hard-fought, gritty win quickly turned into a postgame spectacle, thanks to an unexpected scuffle between Thunder guard Lu Dort and Pelicans rookie Jeremiah Fears.
As the clock hit zero, Dort and Fears got tangled up-literally. The two locked onto each other’s jerseys in a heated moment that escalated fast, drawing both benches into the fray. It wasn’t just a quick dust-up either; it took a while before Fears was finally escorted back to the locker room.
The exact spark behind the altercation is still a mystery, but Fears made it clear afterward that he wasn’t ready to let it go. Instead of cooling off, the former Oklahoma Sooner took the tension online, turning to social media to fire a few more shots at Dort.
On an Instagram post showing the postgame clash, Fears dropped a sharp jab, calling Dort “soft ah” and adding a trio of laughing emojis for good measure. When a fan chimed in to defend Dort, saying “Dort not like (that) I promise,” Fears doubled down with a quick “Oh I know,” making it clear he’s not backing off anytime soon.
It’s a surprising turn from Fears, who just last year was the pride of Norman, leading the Sooners back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2021. He was a freshman phenom at OU, averaging 17.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game-numbers that helped earn him the No. 7 pick in a draft class loaded with talent.
Since landing in New Orleans, though, Fears has kept a relatively low profile-on the court and off. That’s what makes this sudden villain arc so unexpected. But whether it’s frustration, competitiveness, or just a rookie trying to make his presence felt, Fears has officially made himself part of a growing list of players taking aim at the Thunder.
Inside the Thunder locker room, though, the response was calm, even dismissive. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander brushed off the incident as “typical basketball scuffle” territory, while head coach Mark Daigneault pointed the finger at the officiating crew, saying they “lost control of the game” well before things boiled over.
And to be fair, this isn’t the first time Oklahoma City has found itself in the middle of some extra-curricular fireworks. Back in December, Chet Holmgren took a hard flagrant-two foul from Grayson Allen, which also led to benches clearing. Victor Wembanyama has thrown his own subtle jabs at OKC after a trio of matchups last month.
There’s a pattern forming here-and it’s not just about physicality. Teams around the league are bringing a little extra juice when they face the Thunder. Whether it’s trash talk, hard fouls, or postgame antics, opponents are clearly trying to rattle one of the West’s most dangerous young squads.
But if the Thunder are feeling the heat, they’re not showing it. This is a team with eyes on a bigger prize, and so far, they’ve stayed locked in on that goal. The schedule ahead doesn’t get any easier, but Oklahoma City’s ability to block out the noise and stay focused may be what separates them from the rest of the pack.
For now, the Thunder will move on with another win in their pocket-and one more reason to circle the next time they face the Pelicans.