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Scotty Pippen Jr. during the Grizzlies’ game against the Heat, immediately after a fight that spilled into the stands.
A late-game scuffle between the Memphis Grizzlies and Miami Heat spilled into the stands with 1:55 remaining as Miami led 134–113, after a hard off-ball shove on Scotty Pippen Jr. ignited tensions on Saturday night at Kaseya Center. Video shows Pippen charging at Heat forward Myron Gardner after Gardner knocked him down from behind while setting what appeared to be an off-ball screen. The confrontation escalated quickly, with both players shoving and ultimately pulling each other to the floor near courtside seats before being separated.
Both Pippen and Gardner were ejected from the contest. The Heat went on to win, 136–120, but the altercation — which Pippen later described as a “cheap shot” — became the defining moment of the night as the video circulated across social media.
“I thought it was kind of a cheap shot,” Pippen Jr. told USA Today after the game. “He kind of hit me when I didn’t see him. I thought it was a soft move. I just thought he needed a hug on the other end.”
How the Pippen–Gardner Altercation Escalated
The sequence began after Pippen missed a shot and turned upcourt, unaware Gardner was approaching from behind. Gardner knocked Pippen down with a push in the back while setting a screen, prompting Pippen to run back on defense but head straight for Gardner, point at the undrafted rookie and exchange words before shoving him in the chest and face.
“I thought it was kind of a cheap shot,” Pippen said. “He kind of hit me when I didn’t see him. I thought it was a soft move. I just thought he needed a hug on the other end.”
Gardner retaliated by grabbing Pippen, and the two wrestled to the floor near courtside seats as teammates and arena personnel moved in to separate them.
Officials did not call Gardner for a foul over the seemingly unprovoked surprise hit, an action which, had they taken it, likely would have prevented the full-scale brawl from breaking out.
“It escalated a little bit more, people ran up in there,” Pippen Jr. continued, as quoted by SI.com. “But I was just trying to show him some love.”
What Discipline Could Follow After the Double Ejection?
Because both Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner were ejected after the altercation near the courtside seats, the NBA will review the incident under its rules governing on-court fights and bench involvement. The league routinely assesses fines or suspensions when contact escalates beyond routine physical play, particularly when an altercation moves toward the stands. Any additional discipline stemming from the Heat–Grizzlies incident is expected to be announced following league review of the video and official reports.
Pippen told reporters that he did not feel his actions deserved any further punishment.
“I don’t think any punches were thrown,” the Memphis guard said. “It was like I said, a hug. I don’t think it was too crazy. Got ejected, I think it should be left at that. It was a physical play, went and shot the three, got hit with a cheap shot and I came down and I wanted to talk to him. I guess (officials) didn’t see what happened, so I put it in my own hands.”
Pippen Jr. has received NBA fines four times previously in his three-year career, each for $2,000 over technical foul calls. Gardner was playing in just his 28th NBA game, and has not to this point been fined or suspended.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
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