Things got out of hand late in Miami’s 136-120 win over Memphis—and it all centered on Myron Gardner and Scotty Pippen Jr.
What started as a routine fourth-quarter possession quickly escalated into one of the more chaotic moments of the night at Kaseya Center.
Per Sports Illustrated, the tension between Gardner and Pippen had been building over multiple trips down the floor before it finally boiled over.
The sequence began with a physical battle for a rebound. Gardner delivered a hard box-out, and Pippen responded by dragging him away from the play. It was aggressive, but still within the flow of a chippy game.
Moments later, Pippen knocked down a three-pointer in transition—but Gardner made sure the play didn’t end there. He collided with Pippen from behind after the shot had already fallen, sending him to the floor in what many viewed as a late hit.
That moment changed everything.
After getting back up, Pippen made a beeline toward Gardner on the next possession. Instead of letting it go, he confronted him directly—and the confrontation didn’t stay on the court.
Pippen shoved Gardner backward, and the two spilled into the front row, triggering a full-on scramble as players and staff rushed over to break things up.
Both Gardner and Pippen were ejected as a result.
Despite the chaos, there didn’t appear to be any bench players leaving their area, which is significant given the NBA’s strict rules around altercations.
That detail could factor into whether the league hands down additional discipline in the coming days.
For Gardner, the moment marked an unexpected spotlight in his first NBA season. The Miami forward has been carving out a limited role, averaging 4.1 points in under 10 minutes per game after spending multiple years developing in the G League.
Pippen, meanwhile, has been working his way back into rhythm after returning earlier this month from left toe surgery.
The Memphis guard—son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen—has steadily built his résumé since entering the league, including a breakout stretch last season where he posted a triple-double and became part of the first father-son duo in NBA history to achieve that feat.