TRUTH BE TOLD
Pierce-Boston relationship full of love on both sides
The last shot was something straight outta Hollywood. But this was very much Boston.
In his last appearance at the Garden in the final season of his career, Paul Pierce walked off into the North End sunset, hitting a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left and turning to salute the crowd as the last seconds drained from a 107102 Celtics’ victory against his Clippers yesterday.
Pierce was making a late cameo after playing the game’s first 4:47 and missing his only shot. Three quartersful of “We want Paul” chants later, the wishes of the sellout were granted. Gloriously. “Him making that shot just, I don’t know what the heck that is,” said Clippers (and, of course, former Celtics) coach Doc Rivers. “That only happens like here or . . . I don’t know what that is. I don’t know who can sit that long and walk in on the floor and make a shot.
“For Paul, that was perfect. That was perfect.”
Rivers may have saved his own life by reinserting Pierce into the game with 19.8 seconds left.
“Because the fans made me,” Rivers said. “And I’m no dummy.”
The script then took a dramatic turn when Pierce got the ball out high to the left of the top of the key and Isaiah Thomas backed off to clear the stage for the star turn.
Paul got the shot right on the first take, but the scene wasn’t complete until Clippers assistant coach John Welch went onto the court and asked Thomas for the ball. In that he’s the cousin of Lynn Police captain Mark O’Toole, Welch knows that possession is nine-tenths of the law, and he possessed the living hell out of that rock until he made it through the crowd and presented it to Pierce.
Outside of the game’s outcome, there was a deep sense of peace and satisfaction for the 15-year Celtic, whose next official business in this building will almost certainly be the retirement of his No. 34.
“I’m glad I ended it that way,” Pierce said of his final shot. “You know, you want to come in and get a win, but it was a tough day, not only for me but for my teammates. It was a lot of emotion running through. My teammates kind of felt it, too. I’m glad I was able to cap it off. My last game in the Garden, at least I can just say I put one last bucket in at the end of the game. But it was tough, man. Just the fans are awesome. These are the best fans in the world. I never felt anything like this. I truly appreciate my time here. I truly appreciate tonight. The fans really showered me with a lot of love.
“You really don’t know what you meant to a team while you’re playing, and you really don’t get a chance to really reflect on it while you’re playing. It hit me a lot tonight, but I’m sure it’s probably going to hit me a lot more when I’m done playing. But this is something I truly felt tonight, the appreciation of what I’ve been able to give this city and what they’ve been able to give me — not only on the court but off the court, too.” He got off the team bus, the Los
Angeles Clippers bus, wearing a Patriots winter hat and hoodie.
“When you spend 15 years in one place it’s hard to let it go,” Pierce said.
He was wearing his Boston on his heart and his heart on his sleeve as he took in every morsel of his last game in the Garden as a player. He took time and care as he left the court following his early warmup, signing autographs and posing for pictures.
“Hey, Paul,” shouted one fan, “who’s going to win the Super Bowl tonight?”
Pierce continued to sign and pose, replying with a smile, “You already know the answer to that.”
Added Pierce later, “I know this is pretty much my last time, so I wanted to try to sign as many autographs as I could. Like I said before, I’m just soaking it all in, enjoying every moment of it, giving it back to the fans what they gave me.”
The 18,624 official celebrants and the others who knew someone and filled the corners gave Pierce a long ovation during the introduction of the starting lineup. They gave him more when he got on his hands and knees and kissed the leprechaun logo before tipoff.
“I wanted to give Lucky one last kiss,” Pierce said. “Lucky’s been through it all with me, the ups and downs. He’s even helped me out on a couple of occasions. It was the last time I was going to touch this floor as a player. I’m sure I’ll be back as a fan, but as a player that was my last time, so I thought it was only fitting to kiss the floor goodbye.”
And when the crowd thought it fitting to rise for the appreciation video during the game’s first timeout, Pierce stepped from the Clippers huddle and gave the people — and the moment — his tears.
“I don’t get an every arena shower-of-love like Kobe (Bryant) did in his farewell tour,” he said. “So this was like my last goodbye, not only for the Celtics but pretty much the NBA. This was like my true appreciation night, national-television game, right here. Started my first game here Feb. 5 in ’99 and ended off in 2017, Feb. 5. All those things run through your mind. This is it. That’s all I was thinking of.
“It was just beautiful to watch and be a part of this and be a part of the Celtic franchise.”
The affection of which Pierce spoke was on display from the moment he got into town Friday until he departed the Garden.
“The crowd was amazing,” Rivers said. “They are amazing. It was amazing how many of our players made comments about it. Like, ‘Wow, these people are amazing.’ And they are.”
Pierce seemingly made time for all of them as he worked his way down the hall through staff and friends toward the bus. Even as the movie’s credits rolled, he was intent on embracing every moment in the day’s light.