Watch buzzer get revenge on Paul Pierce
Sometimes you beat the buzzer. Sometimes the buzzer beats you.
Paul Pierce’s latest attempt at late-game heroics didn’t come up short. But it did come late, just barely.
With his Washington Wizards trailing the Atlanta Hawks, 94-91, in the closing seconds of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series on Friday, Pierce had the ball in his hands. The 37-year-old former Celtics star launched a three-point shot from the corner. It splashed the net and was initially ruled a basket.
Overtime? Not so fast. Or not fast enough.
Upon video review, officials determined Pierce had not let go his shot, true as it may have been, before time expired. It was waved off, and the Hawks escaped with the win. They advanced to the Eastern Conference finals while the Wizards headed into the offseason.
In Game 3 of the series, Pierce had better luck against the buzzer and the Hawks. He banked in a game-winning jump shot just before time expired and then delivered a postgame quote arguably more memorable than the shot itself.
Asked if he’d called “bank’’ on his decisive shot by ESPN’s Chris Broussard, Pierce delivered a quotable response.
“I called game,’’ he said. “Game!’’
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Pierce, finishing his 17th NBA season, was understandably more subdued after the Wizards’ season-ending loss in Game 6.
“A lot of times I deliver, [a] lot of times I didn’t,’’ Pierce said, http://espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400793786
” class=””>via The Associated Press. “But I’m always willing and ready.’’
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