Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner each fined $35,000 after their fight
Feb 21, 2026; Miami, Florida, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. (1) passes the ball after scrambling for possession during the second half against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
The NBA has delivered its verdict regarding the altercation between Scotty Pippen Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies and Myron Gardner of the Miami Heat. Both players were fined $35,000 each, thus avoiding any suspension after their fight that occurred during Miami’s 136-120 victory on Saturday night.
An incident that escalated in the final minutes
The altercation broke out with 1 minute 55 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Scotty Pippen Jr. had just made a 3-point shot when Myron Gardner intentionally hit him from behind, causing him to fall to the ground. The Grizzlies guard then got up and ran toward Gardner to confront him, violently pushing him with both hands.
The ensuing fight involved several players from both teams and even spilled into the stands. Both protagonists received technical fouls and were ejected from the game with 1 minute 19 seconds remaining.
Here’s video of the fight between Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner (with replays) pic.twitter.com/hNfOBHYRyY
— eric (@EricTweetsNBA) February 22, 2026
Pippen Jr. denounces a « cheap shot »
After the game, Scotty Pippen Jr. didn’t mince words in describing his opponent’s action. « It was a cheap shot. He hit me when I wasn’t looking. That was low to do that. I thought he needed a little hug », justified the son of the Chicago Bulls legend.
The incident originated from a battle for a rebound under the basket, where Pippen had pushed Gardner aside without a foul being called. With Gardner on the ground, Memphis found itself with a 5-on-4 numerical advantage in transition, allowing Pippen to be open for a 3-point shot. It was after making this shot that Gardner decided to take matters into his own hands.
Hit from behind by Myron Gardner after roughing him up just before on a rebound, Scotty Pippen Jr. went directly to fight with the Heat guard
« I thought it was kind of a cheap shot. He hit me without me seeing it coming, so I thought that was… pic.twitter.com/cKvvYFHSGj
— Basket-Infos (@Basket_Infos) February 22, 2026
This $35,000 fine for each of the two players is consistent with decisions made by the NBA under Adam Silver’s era, favoring fines over suspensions for this type of altercation.
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