Just when the Washington Wizards were getting their hopes up that the season was not over, the Jumbotron revealed a different truth. Paul Pierce, the man who was nicknamed “The Truth” years ago, shot what appeared to be another clutch buzzer-beater, but then the hearts of many fans in the District sank when it became clear that the forward still had his fingertips on the ball as the clock expired. The players were despondent afterwards.
“This is frustrating,” said SG Bradley Beal to ESPN. “It’s depressing. It’s sad — probably every synonym of sad that you can think of. Just a few more tenths of a second.”
Paul Pierce’s Near Buzzer-Beater Ends Wizards Season in Heartbreak https://t.co/erjuzMPqhk via @vineapp
— Dave Daniels (@AllDave_AllDay) May 16, 2015
This was a whole different level of gut punch for DC sports fans because many had already written off the Wizards before that horrible play was drawn up. But then Pierce made magic happen again, and it is a shame that he pulled it off just a fraction of one second late. That overtime would have been a lot of fun to watch, and instead we will all have to endure LeBron James steamrolling his way through the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals.
I’m not saying the Wizards would have beaten the Cleveland Cavaliers, but they at least could have made things interesting with all of their bigs possibly slowing down LeBron. Also, we know how much history Pierce and James have, which would have made for some truly legendary trash talk.
I don’t blame Pierce for not getting the shot off in time, because it was a pretty bad play call. Head coach Randy Wittman should have made sure that his forward got the ball with enough time to make something happen, and instead the Wizards are currently booking their summer vacation plans.
Dave Daniels is a Washington Wizards Writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter: @AllDave_AllDay, like him on Facebook here or add him to your network on Google.