Hoops Habit
Fansided

The top 10 moments of Paul Pierce’s NBA career

By Gerald Bourguet

Feb 5, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; LA Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) waves to the crowd after a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; LA Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) waves to the crowd after a game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports /
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Paul Pierce
Jan 21, 2016; Cleveland, OH, USA; Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul Pierce (34) shoots against Cleveland Cavaliers center Timofey Mozgov (20) and forward LeBron James (23) in the third quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /

2. 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals, Game 7

Out of all the Paul Pierce-LeBron James duels, this was the most memorable one for Celtics fans. In the 2008 Eastern Conference semis, it took seven games to decide a heated series between Boston and the 4-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

LeBron was sensational in that series, but in Game 7, The Truth would not be denied. While King James finished with a 45-6-5 stat line, Pierce’s 41 points, five assists and four rebounds led the way for the prevailing Celtics.

He shot 13-for-23 from the floor, made four of his six threes and knocked down 11 of his 12 free throws in the five-point win.

With Boston ahead by three points and about a minute left up on the clock, a jump ball tip got away from everyone. Pierce was the first to dive on the floor, securing the ball and a timeout on a monumental hustle play to preserve momentum.

His free throws with 7.9 seconds remaining iced the game, once again showing the heart of one of the game’s coldest competitors. In one of the best one-on-one duels between Pierce and LeBron, the Truth won out.

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