Grizzlies' Scotty Pippen Jr., Heat's Myron Gardner ejected after scuffle
A matchup between the Miami Heat and Memphis Grizzlies was nearing an end before some late-game fireworks.
Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. and Heat guard Myron Gardner were ejected with 1:55 left in the fourth quarter after a scuffle that carried over into the front of the corner near the 3-point line.
Pippen was forcefully hit in the back by Gardner after making a 3-pointer with 1:59 left in the fourth quarter, but no foul was called. After lying on the floor and then complaining to the officials, Pippen rushed up the floor and charged toward Gardner.
The players fell onto the floor and had to be separated by teammates and staff.
Status alert: Myron Gardner, Scotty Pippen Jr. have been ejected Saturday for fighting.pic.twitter.com/jFhByC4D1k
— Underdog NBA (@UnderdogNBA) February 22, 2026
Both players were ejected from the game following the incident.
The Heat went on to close out the win, 136-120 at Kaseya Center on Feb. 21.
Damichael Cole is the Memphis Grizzlies beat writer for The Commercial Appeal. Contact Damichael at [email protected]. Follow Damichael on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DamichaelC.
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Scotty Pippen Jr., Myron Gardner ejected in Grizzlies vs Heat game
Michael Jordan’s Daytona 500 Moment Fuels NASCAR Buzz
In 1979, the incidents on the final lap of the Daytona 500 catapulted NASCAR into the national sports spotlight, and its popularity exploded due to Cale Yarborough fighting with brothers Bobby and Donnie Allison on the third-turn apron while Richard Petty charged to victory to break a 45-race winless streak.
Now, nearly five decades later, it will be interesting to see if the same thing can be accomplished with this year’s Daytona 500 since the owner of the winning car is one of the most famous athletes of all time.
Ever since Michael Jordan entered NASCAR Cup racing in 2021 as the co-owner of 23XI Racing he has garnered attention for the sport, both on and off the track. He attends races, watches his teams and the races intently from one of the organization’s pit boxes, and never misses victory lane when one of his drivers wins.
Jordan’s federal antitrust suit against NASCAR brought attention to the sport from media that probably hadn’t paid attention to stock car racing in decades. A settlement reached on the trial’s ninth day provided a good ending for both sides. Jordan cited “level heads” as the impetus for the settlement. That cold December day on the federal courthouse steps in Charlotte, North Carolina, Jordan and NASCAR Chairman and CEO Jim France solemnly stood side-by-side.
A little more than two months later, both men were smiling in victory lane as France congratulated Jordan on winning the Daytona 500 with driver Tyler Reddick. Reddick’s victory snapped the driver’s 38-race winless streak and triggered a whirlwind media tour for the Daytona 500 champion. He appeared on Good Morning America, CNN World Sport, FOX & Friends, ESPN’s Get Up, Live with Kelly and Mark, Barstool, The Weather Channel, ESPN’s Unsportsmanlike, and El Universal. He toured and attended a social at the College Football Hall of Fame and participated in a fan event at the Atlanta Braves complex.
Reddick’s most enjoyable moments were interacting with the analysts or the anchors who didn’t know a great deal about racing, who were “genuinely curious about racing… or the number of athletes that were drawn to understand and learn more because they saw Michael (Jordan) in victory lane… getting to tell them about Michael and to tell them about NASCAR.”
This year’s Daytona 500 on FOX averaged 7.489 million viewers, an 11% increase over the 2025 event which was 6.76 million. That made it the most-watched Daytona 500 since 2023. It peaked at 9.15 million viewers, outperforming the Winter Olympics in its timeslot, and made it the most-watched motorsports event since 2023.
Whether or not NASCAR can build on this will be determined as the season progresses. Denny Hamlin, co-owner of 23XI Racing, maintains they want to return the sport to the days when the grandstands and suites were sold out for every event. During those decades there were numerous corporate sponsors, especially R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co., that bought hundreds of tickets and distributed them to customers and contest winners. Corporate hospitality villages were in abundance, but the average fan felt displaced by corporate America.
It has yet to be seen if Jordan and his team’s 2026 Daytona 500 victory can cause the popularity surge in the sport that was triggered by the 1979 Daytona 500. However, it will attract people who have never watched it before because they will be curious as to why the internationally famous athlete who globalized the NBA and basketball chose to own a NASCAR team.
UFC Houston Highlights! Uros Medic Sleeps Geoff Neal With Insane KO Punch
Uros “The Doctor” Medic wrote a prescription Geoff Neal couldn’t handle last night (Sat., Feb. 21, 2026) at UFC Houston LIVE on Paramount+ from inside Toyota Center in Houston, Tex., turning in a massive one-punch knockout early in the first round.
Despite coming off a brutal knockout loss to Carlos Prates his last time out, Neal was still a sizeable betting favorite over Medic heading into UFC’s return to “H-Town.” Neal has certainly fought the better competition throughout his UFC tenure, but Medic carried a 100% finish rate and was coming off back-to-back knockout wins. So even though the oddsmakers saw Neal as the go-to pick this co-main event clash was going to be closer than most expected.
Not only did Medic prove his worth, but he only needed 79 seconds to launch a perfectly-timed left hook that connected flush and instantly rendered Neal unconscious. Neal toppled to the canvas like a falling redwood and Medic walked off with one of the best knockouts 2026 will produce.
Check out the finish below:
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