I'm just warning you now, part 1 of this list is very Truth-heavy.
10- Sunday, March 8th, 2009: Despite trailing by 18 at the half and missing both Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo, the Celtics are able to pull within double digits by the end. More important than the outcome of the game was the announcement that Paul Pierce had passed Robert Parish to become number three on the all-time Celtics scoring list, behind Larry Bird and John Havlicek.
I'll never forget this, because we all got to our feet and clapped, and the older couple next to me shook their heads in disaproval. "It's really too bad, Parish was a much better player, Pierce is just a ballhog" the woman said to me, her husband nodding in agreement. It's interesting that Pierce was never embraced as unconditionally by all of Celtics nation as the two men ahead of him and the man who he passed. Part of it, I guess, is that older people always seem to think that what's happening now isn't as great as it used to be. The other is that I suppose these fans need somebody to blame for the subpar years that this team has seen with Pierce. In my opinion, he belongs in the company of all the Celtics greats, and this was a really great moment in an otherwise frustrating afternoon.
9- Monday, November 10, 2008: On the eve of Veteran's Day, the Celtics found themselves down eight points to the Raptors in the fourth quarter. It was then that Paul Pierce took over. He scored 22 points in the final quarter, and led the Celtics to victory in a game in which they had trailed since the opening minutes. When Pierce took the stage at the postgame press conference with his hand wrapped in ice, Kevin Garnett jokingly informed the media that Pierce's shooting hand needed to be cooled down. While Pierce's performance drew national praise, there was also many around North America who were upset with Kevin Garnett waving his finger in Jose Calderon's face as Calderon was advancing the ball.
While KG's finger wag upset many, I loved it. My reaction to it now is the same as it was then: If you don't like one of the highest paid veterans in the league going balls to the wall and doing everything he can to win in November, you've got problems. You're probably one of the same people who complains about NBA teams coasting through the regular season. Some people are never happy. Eat a dick, essentially, is what I'm saying to you.
Here were KG's postgame thoughts on Pierce's performance (it's funny, but a little awkward...very nasaly performance)
8- Tuesday, April 28, 2009: Eastern Conference Playoffs, Round 1, Game 5. Kevin Garnett is not playing. Ray Allen fouled out with over 5 minutes remaining (the last two fouls were VERY questionable calls, particularly the 6th.) Things were looking bleak. However, as he so often does, Paul Pierce took the team on his shoulders. He tied the game with 10 seconds left in the fourth, and then scored 6 in the overtime. His final two, a signature jumper from the elbow, put the Celtics up 2 with 3 seconds left in the overtime.
It should be noted here that Richard Phillips (the Captain captured by Somali pirates) was the "Celtics Hero Among Us" of this night. I should probably say something about gaining a lot of perspective on sports and realizing what a real role model is and all that stuff. I just thought it was cool. That's all I have to say.
7- Tuesday, February 3rd, 2009: The Celtics had won 11 straight heading into their road matchup with the Sixers. With less than a minute remaining, Ray Allen hit a three pointer to tie the game up at 97, apparently prompting Cedric Maxwell to exclaim "Sugar Ray! That's onions right there! Not onion rings, but onIONS!" (see video below). However, after Andre Iguodala hit a beautiful fallaway shot with six seconds left, it looked like that 11 game win streak would come to an end. However, Doc Rivers drew up a beatiful inbounds play for Ray Allen, who gave the Celtics the win by hitting a three pointer from the corner with less than a second left on the clock.
Words can't do this one justice, watch it:
6- Wednesday, November 12, 2008: Two nights after scoring 22 fourth quarter points to beat the Raptors, Paul Pierce scores 34 with the final two coming on a fallaway jumper with his team down 1 and .5 seconds left on the clock to beat the previously undefeated Hawks. KG had 25 and 12 in this one as well. After the game, Kevin Garnett had this to say to the media:
"The last play was drawn up: Get the ball to Pierce; get the hell out the way," Garnett said. "Superman's in the booth. Let's go home. That was the play, and if you don't believe that ask Doc Rivers and he'll say the same exact thing."
This week was my favorite of the entire season, and this would probably be my top moment of the season if the playoffs had never happened. This was early November, and teams were coming in to the Garden to play the defending champs with intensity usually reserved for postseason game 7s. They were pushed to their breaking point twice in a row, and both times they dug deep and provided the fans with moments they won't soon forget.
Here is the buzzer beater from that night:
Moments 5-1 coming at you Monday or Tuesday.
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