Last night the Grizzlies suffered their first loss post-All-Star break, losing to the Miami Heat 136-120. Even though the Grizzlies were outmatched talent-wise, they still had plenty of positive individual performances that should inspire long-term confidence.
However, the biggest story of the evening was the scuffle late in the game, which saw Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner both get ejected. It started with a no-call on a Miami offensive possession with Pippen Jr. and Gardner battling for positioning on a rebound. What followed, though, was completely preventable from the officiating crew.
Here's what went down:
— Matt Infield (@Matt_Infield) February 22, 2026
-Scotty Pippen Jr. and Myron Gardner fight for a rebound, SPJ tosses Gardner (physical but fine)
-SPJ hits a 3, Gardner delivers a cheap shot to the back well after the shot is away
-Pippen wants all the smoke down (rightfully so)
Never seen SPJ like that pic.twitter.com/gsaZdE710J
Scotty Pippen Jr. hit a three but was unnecessarily bumped by Myron Gardner well after the shot. To make matters worse, there wasn't a call made. The no-call is an egregious miss and is a huge risk for player safety. While Pippen Jr. ended up getting ejected, it still ended up being a very welcome sight for Grizzlies fans.
Pippen Jr. showed the fight Memphis fans love
Scotty Pippen Jr. was a great success story for the Grizzlies, going from a two-way to a standard deal and becoming a crucial contributor for the team. However, it was a mild surprise to see him get ejected.
Very early in the season, there was a lack of retaliation after Draymond Green committed a hard foul on Santi Aldama, and the Grizzlies ended up losing focus and getting heavily outplayed by the Warriors. It was a concerning sight at the time given that the Grizzlies' fanbase resonates with grit and not letting other teams push them around.
Pippen Jr.'s ejection yesterday is a strong sign that the Grizzlies have not given up. While the Grizzlies will have to keep working to find the right talent in their rebuild, they must prioritize adding players who aren't willing to get pushed around, such as Pippen Jr. He showed beyond his skillset that he is willing to protect himself and not let the team get pushed around, regardless of the score.
The effort levels from the Grizzlies have been very high post-trade deadline despite missing plenty of players. While talks of tanking will be rampant in the coming weeks, this is still a time that players will be fighting for roster spots and increased roles beyond this season. Despite losing in Miami, seeing such promising performances and grit, such as what Pippen Jr. showed yesterday, is a clear sign that the rebuild in Memphis can be fast.