The Nuggets and Thunder brought plenty of physicality to the court in Oklahoma City’s home opener on Thursday. Nikola Jokic appeared to trip Cason Wallace while setting a screen, and Jalen Williams went into a barrel roll after Christian Braun tripped him in transition. The physicality wasn’t limited to the players, either. During the game, a fight broke out among fans in the upper level of Paycom Center.

Footage of the altercation has circulated on social media. It took place in Section 301, part of the arena’s upper bowl, branded “Love’s Loud City” for Thunder games. A video shared on X by Amanda Siewyk shows several men in a physical altercation near the section signage.

“Fight at an @okcthunder game is a first for me 💀 #thunderup?” she wrote. The footage shows people pushing and shoving as other fans watch and record on their phones.

One spectator described the group involved as “obnoxious all night” and claimed the man who was punched attended the game with his very young daughter. According to the commenter, the man was bleeding badly and that he took additional cheap shots before police removed those involved. Another person who claimed to be in the video and helped break up the fight disputed that account.

They alleged the man started the confrontation by turning around, talking trash, and threatening other spectators, despite being a Thunder fan. The commenter also denied that the man was accompanied by his daughter. Further stating that their group faced no further trouble after speaking with police. Another reply mentioned an earlier incident in which a drink was accidentally spilled on the man and a companion.

So there are conflicting messages on social media about who initiated the confrontation and what happened afterward. The circulating footage shows the physical altercation, with several guys jumping in and also seeming to throw punches, but there is no report of how the brawl transpired.

Police did respond, according to Siewyk. “Update: 2 cops came, whole group was escorted out, and (allegedly) a guy was bleeding,” she posted. As of Friday, there were no reports of arrests or bans connected to the fight, and neither the Thunder nor Paycom Center had issued a statement.

On the court, Oklahoma City won 96-84, though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s streak of 141 straight 20-point games came to an end.

This is not the first time tensions in the building have reached a boiling point, though in the past they involved players.

During Oklahoma City’s 2024 Western Conference semifinal series against the Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic confronted a courtside spectator late in Game 2. With 4:26 remaining and Dallas leading 110-101, referee Scott Foster stepped between Doncic and the fan to prevent the exchange from escalating. After the Mavericks won 119-110, Doncic explained what prompted his reaction.

“That’s great for me. I love it. Just there was one guy courtside, going at my family. I don’t like that, man,” he said. “You’re a grown a– man. Just can’t do that.”

Kyrie Irving also addressed the incident and criticized spectators who appeared more interested in getting attention than watching the game.

“Everybody’s trying to go viral when they’re at NBA games, instead of focusing on the players and the task at hand,” Irving said. He explained why he stood up for his teammate, adding, “So, when you do that to my teammate, of course, I’m going to stand up.”

The confrontation followed another controversial moment during Game 1 of the series, when longtime Thunder supporter Juan Guerra II, who has attended nearly every home game for years, received an NBA Fan Code of Conduct warning after an exchange with Irving. Guerra said he had tossed a ball toward an official, only for Irving to throw it back in his direction.

“Two minutes into the game & @KyrieIrving soft self already got me one of these because he threw the ball back at when me I tossed it at the ref who went the other way,” Guerra wrote. He also posted, “Two minutes in. lol. It y’all know me, I’m the most respectful person ever. Kyrie ran his mouth and I get this lol. Soft.”

This time, however, there was no incident between the players and the fans. The spectators brawled among themselves while the NBA stars had their own physical matchup.