As the NBA season reaches a final home stretch, each game is crucial for playoff positioning. That can result in some playoff-level intensity as teams fight for their spot in the standings, which is what happened between the Thunder and Spurs on Sunday night.
Entering the game, the Thunder held the top spot in the Western Conference, while the Spurs are 5.5 games back of the Mavericks for the 10th spot in the standings and final play-in position. Additionally, these two teams haven’t played since November.
With the Thunder up 100-96 on the Spurs in San Antonio, the game was stopped as the teams got into an altercation that resulted in multiple ejections. The fight began after a particularly physical defensive play, but escalated to something beyond just the basketball.
Here’s what happened between the Thunder and Spurs on Sunday night.
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Thunder-Spurs ejections, explained
Late in the third quarter, Kenrich Williams of the Thunder and Julian Champagnie of the Spurs got a little too physical during a play, leading to a scuffle between the two teams.
Spurs and Thunder scuffle after some physical defense pic.twitter.com/MkyUvPn5kR
— CJ Fogler 🫡 (@cjzero) March 3, 2025
Then as both teams came together, the scuffle escalated between Spurs forward Jeremy Sochan and Thunder guard Lu Dort.
Big scrum just broke out here after what appears to be Lu Dort and Jeremy Sochan getting into it. pic.twitter.com/a4AwoBul0H
— Joel Lorenzi (@jxlorenzi) March 3, 2025
After everything settled down, the referees went to the video monitor to the review for fouls and potential ejections, warning that every player involved was at risk of ejection. In the end, Williams, Champagnie and Dort were all ejected, while Sochan was allowed to stay in the game despite he and Dort being involved in the same fight.
The Thunder won the game 146-132 despite being down two of it’s players, extending its lead at the Western Conference.
Why didn’t Jeremy Sochan get ejected?
Sochan was an active participant in the mayhem, even grabbing a fistful of Dort’s collar while the carnage ensued.
Nevertheless, he wasn’t handed his marching papers, instead fielding a technical foul for his troubles. The referees are yet to reveal why Sochan avoided temporary banishment, although the league’s pool report could offer some additional insight.
This section will be updated.
