Thunder's Dort, Pelicans' Fears Fined for On-Court Altercation

NBA penalizes players $25,000 each after incident at end of game

Jan. 29, 2026 at 7:55pm

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The NBA has fined Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort and New Orleans Pelicans guard Jeremiah Fears $25,000 each following an on-court altercation that occurred at the conclusion of Tuesday night's game between the two teams.

Why it matters

Altercations between players, even minor ones, are taken seriously by the NBA as they can escalate tensions and potentially lead to larger incidents that disrupt the flow of the game and undermine the league's image. The fines send a message that such behavior will not be tolerated.

The details

The incident occurred after the Thunder's 104-95 home victory over the Pelicans. Dort wrapped up Fears after the Pelicans rookie had secured a game-ending rebound. After the final buzzer, Dort shoved Fears in the chest and both players subsequently grabbed each other's jerseys 'in an aggressive manner', according to the league.

  • The incident occurred at the conclusion of Oklahoma City's 104-95 home victory against New Orleans on Tuesday night.
  • The NBA fined the players on Thursday, two days after the game.

The players

Luguentz Dort

A 26-year-old guard for the Oklahoma City Thunder who had 12 points and 8 rebounds in the game, and is averaging 8.8 points and 3.9 rebounds per game this season.

Jeremiah Fears

A 19-year-old rookie guard for the New Orleans Pelicans who finished the game with 7 points and 3 steals, and is averaging 13.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game this season after being drafted 7th overall in 2025.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What’s next

The league will likely continue to monitor the relationship between Dort and Fears, and may take further disciplinary action if any similar incidents occur in future matchups between the Thunder and Pelicans.

The takeaway

The NBA is proactive in addressing on-court altercations between players, even relatively minor ones, in order to maintain the integrity of the game and prevent any escalation of tensions that could disrupt the flow of play or undermine the league's reputation.