Lu Dort has made a name for himself by being the heart and soul of the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is the one who sets the level of physicality on defense, and his rugged play helped make the Thunder a championship organization.

However, his intensity and physical play sometimes cross the line, much like they did on Friday against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

The Thunder and Nuggets have become intense rivals through the years, given the success of both organizations in the Western Conference, leading to some heated and emotional battles on the court. On Friday, tensions rose to a new level between these two teams when he seemed to purposely trip Jokic, sending the three-time MVP to the ground and leading to a skirmish between the two sides.

After the two sides were separated from pushing and shoving, the play was reviewed, and Dort was ejected from the game after receiving a flagrant foul 2. Dort has since been under heavy scrutiny from fans for his antics against the Nuggets, leading to him breaking his silence on the matter.

“It was a physical game throughout the whole game,” Dort told Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic on Tuesday night in Chicago. “Obviously, that was unnecessary contact that I shouldn’t have done. I got the worst of it by getting thrown out the game. But yeah, it was a high-level game. I’m a competitor, so I compete.”

The 26-year-old wing claimed this game against Denver was a physical battle with “limits to it,” but he added that he “went over the limit” regarding his play with Jokic.

Not only have NBA fans been picking sides on what unfolded in last week's game between the Thunder and Nuggets, but Denver head coach David Adelman also shared his thoughts on what happened, calling Dort's actions “ridiculous.”

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“For Dort to take that shot — and then I guess it wasn't that big of a deal from their standpoint, how they looked at it — is ridiculous,” Adelman said. “That was malicious. It was a cheap shot. Lu Dort is a great player, and that's not what I've seen him do before.”

Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault responded to the criticism surrounding Dort being ejected from Friday's game, saying that the incident was the product of a “chippy game” and that “things escalate like that sometimes.” Daigneault did not comment on whether he thought Dort's actions were unnecessary or excessive, which led to officials throwing him out of the game.

While speaking with Lorenzi in Chicago on Tuesday, Dort responded to the notion of many calling him a dirty player.

“I have a tough job, guarding the best players every night,” Dort said. “I don’t think I’m dirty. I can’t control media. Media always wants to have some type of attention or anything. They want that buzz. I can’t control that…

“I’m not dirty.”

No further action was taken by the NBA for what transpired between the Thunder and Nuggets, as Dort played against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night, registering four points and five rebounds in a 116-108 Oklahoma City win.