Paul Pierce hits buzzer beater, calls ‘game’ because he’s still ‘The Truth’
The Truth still hurts.
Paul Pierce hit a buzzer beater to lift the Washington Wizards to a 103-101 win over the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinals playoff series on Saturday. With multiple Hawks defenders closing in on him, the 37-year-old former Celtics star banked in his shot off the backboard as the buzzer sounded. The Wizards lead the best-of-seven series 2-1.
Asked if he’d called “bank’’ on his decisive shot by ESPN’s Chris Broussard, Pierce delivered a response for the ages.
“I called game,’’ he said. “Game!’’
[fragment number=0]
[fragment number=1]
[fragment number=2] The Wizards squandered a 21-point lead before Pierce drained the game-winning shot. Washington took a 91-70 lead with 9:53 remaining in the fourth quarter, but the Hawks rallied to tie the game with 14 just seconds left on the clock with a three-point shot by forward Mike Muscala.
Then this happened:
[fragment number=3]
[fragment number=4][fragment number=5]
Well over a decade after Shaquille O’Neal inspired people to call him “The Truth,’’ Pierce joined the Wizards for the 2014-2015 season. He spent the first 15 seasons of his career with the Celtics and then a lone campaign with the Brooklyn Nets before coming to Washington. After hitting a late three-point shot for the Wizards in their first-round playoff series against the Toronto Raptors, Pierce said, “That’s why I’m here.’’
Pierce scored 13 points on 5-12 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds in the Wizards’ Game 3 win over the Hawks on Saturday. While that stat line may not stand out among the superlative numbers the 10-time All Star has put up during his career, his final shot and postgame quote show he can still handle the big moment.
[fragment number=6]
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com