Scotty Pippen Jr. addressed his on-court scuffle with Miami’s Myron Gardner following the Grizzlies’ 136-120 loss on Saturday at Kaseya Center. Pippen described the incident as a “hug” after Gardner hit him unexpectedly late in the fourth quarter, saying, “I thought it was kind of a cheap shot…maybe he needed a hug on the other end.”
The ejection occurred with 1:19 remaining in a game that saw Miami pull away in the third quarter, outscoring Memphis 39-26 to build a 109-89 lead. Andrew Wiggins led the Heat with 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting, reaching 15,000 career points early in the third quarter.
Norman Powell added 25 points, while Tyler Herro contributed 14 points and six assists. Miami shot 52% overall and collected 57 rebounds, controlling the glass 57-35 despite 18 turnovers. Kasparas Jakucionis and Jaime Jaquez Jr. also chipped in 12 points each, helping secure the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference.
For Memphis, GG Jackson scored a season-high 28 points off the bench, Jaylen Wells added 25, and Pippen Jr. finished with 18 points and six assists. The Grizzlies made 15 of 44 three-pointers but struggled to contain Miami inside. Memphis remains without Ja Morant, sidelined for his 13th straight game with a left elbow sprain.
Pippen emphasized that no punches were thrown and expects no further disciplinary action. “I don’t expect anything. I don’t think any punches or anything was thrown… I think just, like I said, a hug,” he said, downplaying the escalation as more players ran onto the floor.
The Grizzlies’ defeat marked their 11th loss in 14 games, dropping them to 21-34 and 11th in the Western Conference standings. Memphis will host the Sacramento Kings on Monday, while Miami travels to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.
