The Oklahoma City Thunder have ruled out Lu Dort for Tuesday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. The Thunder are looking to extend their winning streak to 13 games, but they have to endure a growing injury list.
According to Thunder’s official injury report, Dort is dealing with a right adductor strain, though the seriousness of the injury hasn’t been confirmed. He previously missed six games in early November due to illness and shoulder issues.
Dort is averaging 8.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 steals per game this season. He remains a starter for the defending NBA champions, providing elite perimeter defense.
In his absence, the Thunder will have to rely on Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe and Ajay Mitchell. Jalen Williams is also back on the lineup, so it may feel like they won’t miss a beat.
Thunder’s Injury Report Against Warriors
In addition to Lu Dort, the Oklahoma City Thunder are also going to be without pesky guard Alex Caruso, starting center Isaiah Hartenstein, second-year guard Nikola Topic and rookie center Thomas Sorber.
Caruso was diagnosed with right quad soreness, while Hartenstein is recovering from a strained right soleus muscle. Caruso’s injury could be minor, but Hartenstein has already been ruled out for 10 to 14 days, as per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
Topic, on the other hand, is still waiting to make his NBA debut after missing all of his rookie season with a knee injury. He was expected to be a backup point guard this season, but he had to undergo a medical procedure after just one preseason game.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti then announced in late October that Topic was diagnosed with testicular cancer and will be out indefinitely as he undergoes treatment. As for Sorber, he’s out for the season after tearing his right ACL in a summer workout in September.
Dort Inspired Nuggets’ Bruce Brown
The Denver Nuggets took the OKC Thunder to Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. However, Aaron Gordon‘s injury was too much to overcome for Nikola Jokic and company, as the Thunder advanced to the next round.
Denver’s new front office retooled their roster in the offseason to provide The Joker with more depth. The Nuggets brought back Bruce Brown Jr. in free agency, a vital player in their championship win in 2023.
Speaking to Clemente Almanza of Thunder Wire last month, Brown revealed that he was inspired by Lu Dort’s performance in the 2025 NBA playoffs. He wants to replicate Dort’s success on the defensive end and help the Nuggets win another title.
“Later in the season, they’ll let things go just because they know you’re a physical defender. Like, Lu Dort has a reputation of being a physical defender, so they don’t really call much on him. So, just trying to do that,” Brown said.
The Thunder have the best defense in the NBA this season with a defensive rating of 103.6, well ahead of the Detroit Pistons‘ 110.6 in second place. They have some of the best perimeter defenders in the league, like Dort, Cason Wallace, Alex Caruso and Jalen Williams.
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