Although their matchup against the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday night seemed like a scheduled loss, the Oklahoma City Thunder earned another much-needed victory to secure their place atop the NBA.
With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Ajay Mitchell all out for various reasons, it was another impressive team effort. Jared McCain and Isaiah Joe were the stars of the night, posting 20 and 19 points respectively.
Chet Holmgren had another impressive defensive effort, posting his fifth-straight game with at least two blocks. Even Jaylin Williams got in on the action again, posting 17 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists in almost 33 minutes on the court.
But amid the controversy stemming from Lu Dort's altercation with Nikola Jokic in the team's matchup with the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 27, Dort took the opportunity to provide the world with an undeniable reminder of his value.
In the first half alone, he drew two offensive fouls from Chicago, and his overall peskiness and chippiness throughout the course of the game was a major boon to Oklahoma City's cohesive defensive front.
Lu Dort might not always have the numbers, but he makes an impact on every game
Since their well-documented altercation with the Nuggets, which stemmed from Dort tripping Jokic on his way down the floor, NBA discourse has been ablaze with depictions of Dort as "dirty".
Dort was ultimately ejected for the foul. Whether or not you believe that was deserved, I think it's easy to agree that the trip itself was uncalled for. At the same time, however, the play was simply an extension of Dort's aggressive play-style: his propensity to always seek out contact and physicality to get under opposing teams' skin.
Often, this manifests itself in less visible ways.
In their matchup against Chicago, Dort only posted four points. But his defensive impact was tangible. He drew two offensive fouls in the first half, one on a Nick Richards moving screen and one on a charge from Collin Sexton.
His impact didn't stop there. He was all over the place, taking on difficult point-of-attack assignments against the Bulls' plethora of guards and disrupting their already shaky offensive scheme by jumping screens and passing lanes.
Of course it won't be popular in NBA discourse (and especially not with Nuggets fans). But a large portion of Dort's value comes from his ability to accomplish these aims night-in and night-out. He's the type of player opposing teams hate to play against.
That is a valuable thing in and of itself.