Grizzlies Vs Heat: Scotty Pippen Jr. ejected after shoving Myron Gardner in Miami
The latest grizzlies vs heat matchup ended in a physical melee that left Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner ejected and put the players’ availability for the next game under review.
Memphis fell in Miami, and the game’s defining moment came after a late 3-pointer when Pippen Jr. charged at Gardner following what he called a "cheap shot. " Both players were removed from the game and could face fines or suspension from the commissioner’s office.
How the scuffle unfolded
Pippen Jr., 25, said he was knocked to the hardwood by Myron Gardner, 24, after the 3-pointer and that Gardner hit him "when I didn't see him, " calling the contact a "soft move. " Pippen described his reaction as trying to give Gardner a hug, and video showed him appear to put both hands around Gardner’s neck and shoulders before shoving him into the first row at the Kaseya Center.
Both players tumbled to the floor, wrestled, were peeled apart and were ejected. Pippen said, "It escalated a little bit more, people ran up in there, " and added, "I was just trying to show him some love. " He also said, "I don't think any punches were thrown, " and that he didn't expect a fine or suspension.
Grizzlies Vs Heat scuffle at Kaseya Center
Miami won 134-113. The incident followed a play described by some fans as a blindside back pick by Gardner; other fans argued Pippen Jr. started it when the two tangled for a rebound. Social media reactions split along team lines over who initiated the confrontation.
Context on the players involved
Gardner, identified as a Heat forward, has had previous verbal altercations with Klay Thompson and others since earning a two-way contract with the Heat that later became a guaranteed standard deal. Pippen Jr., the son of Scottie and Larsa Pippen, attended Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale from kindergarten through 10th grade.
Pippen Jr. is in his fourth NBA season, returned from toe surgery in October and recently came back to the Grizzlies rotation. He had 18 points, six assists and two steals in 20 minutes in Miami, though he said that performance will be overshadowed by the altercation. For his career he averages 10. 1 points per game and has a 3-point percentage of 40. 2 percent.
Immediate consequences and team situations
Both players were ejected and both players, along with some teammates who entered the fray, could face fines or suspensions from the league office. Pippen Jr. 's playing time for the next game may be subject to the league's judgment about his "hug. "
Memphis is experimenting with different players and lineups as it soft tanks to the finish; the Grizzlies sit at 21-34 and have effectively called it quits on the 2025-26 season. The Heat are 31-27, in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, and can lift themselves out of the play-in tournament by improving to sixth.
Next on the calendar: the league will decide whether to discipline the players, and Memphis must prepare its rotation for its next scheduled game while awaiting that decision.
