Monday, June 7th, 2010 at 9:00 am  |  223 responses

Paul Pierce: ‘We Ain’t Comin Back to L.A.’

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

After the Boston Celtics took the first two games on the Orlando Magic’s floor, in the Eastern Conference Finals, Paul Pierce looked into a television camera and told Celtics fans that his team was coming home to close things out. He then claimed that his Twitter account was hacked, when minutes later, a statement appeared on there saying the C’s were going to sweep Orlando.

Last night in Los Angeles, in the closing moments of Boston’s huge Game 2 victory, Pierce was in the mood to make predictions and bold guarantees again (this time, to courtside fans.)

As you’ll see and hear in the video clip below, Paul doesn’t think the NBA Finals will be coming back to Staples Center this season:

Pierce’s guarantees in the Orlando series didn’t exactly come true, but the Celtics did eventually close things out. Laker fans can only hope that Paul will be wrong on both fronts this time around.

(H/T: You Been Blinded)

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  • http://www.shawn-kemps-offspring.blogspot.com Eboy

    I think that only Kobe would have the competitive fire to get heated enough to want to do something about the ’08 result. Ron too, but in his case a) he wasn’t part of it and b)he’s due a meltdown and what better place for it than in front of a nasty Boston crowd for three games. That’s my prediction for the three games in Boston….Ron get’s tossed and maybe get’s a suspension for some out of control foul on Rondo or Paul. Although, the greatness that would be Ron vs. Lil’ Nate almost makes me hope he clothesline’s Nate and watch the fireworks explode from that!!!

  • Kap

    Take away those desperation shots at end of Game 2 and Kobe is shooting 50% so he is yet to actually struggle against this defense.

  • Kap

    Boston CANNOT STOP Gasol and Rondo is still struggling to finish around the hole like he normally does bc of Bynum and Gasol.

  • jumpman3224

    @Philosopher: thanks!

  • jumpman3224

    I think Gasol has the fire to want to do something about 2008. To this point, he’s showed that. Many people have said Mamba looks like he is on a mission and he does, but so does Gasol. Especially in this matchup. We’ll see if he can keep it up in enemy territory.

  • jumpman3224

    @Javy – MJ was great and I am in no way trying to disrespect his name, game or legacy. But, I think history romanticizes players. To dis Kobe by saying MJ stopped players from having big scoring games night in and night out, no matter what, is incorrect. For example, Sir Charles dropped 42 in a Bulls/Suns finals game.

  • The Philosopher

    I’ll tell the truth. The Los Angeles Lakers are my all time favorite team. I am a Magic Johnson guy forever. Honestly, I want to see Kobe get THIS ring. He’s one of my all time favorite players as well, (even though LeBron’s better) but if Rajon Rondo keeps doing what he does, and has done in game 2, my Lakers have some problems.

  • The Philosopher

    @jumpman3224: They just happen more often on Kobe’s watch.

  • Javy

    I just want other players to respect Kobe and some still don’t. Pierce has said that he’s better than Kobe.
    Kobe needs to step up on defense and if a player is scoring in bunches, he needs to take the lead.
    Ask all the former players who had the cojones to say that they were better than Jordan…..ZERO….NONE..NADA.

  • Kap

    @ Philosopher…To be honest, I can’t remember too many times where a person has had 40+ on the opposing team except Jamison, Arenas against Lakers. So I think you’re wrong.

  • Sam

    ya know, someone similar said something like that. kevin duckworth after tying the 1-1 series in detroit for the finals, he said, “we will not be coming back to detroit” to everyone. well, he was right. DETROIT won three games in a row in portland and won that championship. maybe the lakers can do the same??????

  • jumpman3224

    @Javy: I think the fact that Kobe was in so much foul trouble negated his ability to step up and lock down Allen. Kobe did come in to guard him at one point. Someone mentioned earlier that Allen only had 5 pts with Kobe on him. IDK if that was true, but if so there isnt much more he could’ve done.

  • The Philosopher

    @Kap: Allan Houston gave Kobe 50, Larry Hughes gave Kobe 40, Gil gave him 60. I am not wrong.

  • jumpman3224

    No matter what people say about Kobe, his foul trouble and Ray’s roll. The truth is, he needs to play within how the game is being called and stay out of foul trouble and on the floor. He and every other Laker has to stay focused and dedicated defensively.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Damon Stoudamire used to kill the bulls.
    AI too.
    In fact, I’m sure Gilber Arenas would have given Mike problems since he was a little quick guard, and Mike always struggled to contain those.
    Anyway, this convo is silly.

  • The Philosopher

    In Michael’s early days, guys like Iverson, even Kobe, etc,… they would not have come down the lane with some of these cute dunks, fancy reverses and what not. Their careers would have been altered, to put things diplomatically. And back in those days players weren’t allowed to carry the ball.

  • Kap

    @philosopher…that’s not as many as you make it seem with a guy who’s been playing for same team for 14 years.

  • Kap

    @jumpman…you gotta admit he didn’t deserve his last three fouls that were called. So I dont think it was his fault. I think the officials over anticipate too much and over react to guys flopping

  • jumpman3224

    @Kap: I don’t think he did, esp the offensive one on Allen and the one where Rondo was falling Out of Bounds (both of which the ABC play by play crew) asserted that the wrong call was made. But, I guess that’s part of the game and to be fair, Allen was on the wrong side of a couple questionable foul calls in game one. Hopefully they can let them play more tonight.

  • jumpman3224

    @Philospher: In Jordan’s early days he got 57 handed to him by ‘Nique in one epic regular season game. Also, wouldn’t it give Jordan an easier time keeping player from having big scoring games if the offensive players couldn’t carry? Isn’t that an advantage for the D?

  • The Philosopher

    @Kap: I mean, how many times have guys get lit up for 50 and 60 points? I’m talking about the consistency of the whole thing as far as being able to shut down a player.

  • The Philosopher

    @jumpman3224: I’ll say this. If Iverson is not carrying the ball for all these years, his scoring exploits would have been fewer and farther in between. And as you said, this was in a regular season game. Players still carry the ball today, just not as frequently.

  • The Philosopher

    ^^ as far as Dominique, that was regular season, right?

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    Iverson always carrying is a bad rap.
    Iverson stopped doing his patented crossover after year two.
    After that, he palmed the ball no more than steve nash.
    Here’s something for y’all to chew on. Iverson, Kobe, McGrady, Vince and Lebron are known as “chuckers” or volume shooters.
    YOu know that of all those players, only Kobe and Iverson have had a season where they shot the ball more than 1,800 times?
    In comparison, Jordan only had THREE seasons in Chicago where he DIDN’T shoot the ball more than 1,800 times and he took more than 2,000 shots at least once. And of the three years where he failed to reach the 2,000 shot plateau in the Chi, once was because of the foot injury, once was because he just came back from baseball and the last time he only missed the mark by five shots.
    Jordan shot the ball, WAY more than any contemporary player and WAY more than almost all of hte all-time greats outside of Rick Barry and Wilt. And, even Rick Barry didn’t have the consistency in chucking that Jordan had.
    However, he still can’t touch Wilt, who once shot the ball 3,100 times in a season, the all-time record from what I could find.

  • http://www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com Tarzan Cooper

    No one ever scored on scot pollard

  • The Philosopher

    The NBA is the best ball league there is, and guys CAN get off, for ALL the guys in The League CAN play. Shout out to Tony Delk’s epic 53. But again, the great ones, which Kobe is, generally don’t have guys who light them up consistently. Now, the points about who’s guarding who, that even further strengthens the debate on certain topics of whos really better than who.

  • The Philosopher

    Jordan is a career 50% shooter, Allen. That is big. Not to discount the volume rate of shots by other players including Jordan, but Jordan made nearly half of those shots for his career against a far more physical defensive era than which exists today.

  • jumpman3244

    @philosopher: You say that AI would have scored less had he not been given the ability to carry the ball. That is the era Kobe is playing in. Offensive players are given more liberty and advantages today. Another examples of the differences between eras. That and hand checking rules make it harder to play lockdown defense and thus players are more apt to go off regardless of the matchup. Also, yeah the Nique 57 game was reg season as was the games you mentioned earlier (gil, jamison v kobe).

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Philosopher, Michael Jordan is not the best defensive players ever. You’re making it seem like he could shut down anybody. It’s arguable that he wasn’t even a better defender than BRUCE BOWEN.
    I’ll say this again: Ray Allen would have torched Michael Jordan. Period. And Reggie Miller was a great player, but so is Shuttlesworth, and know this–Ray Allen used to average over 26 ppg…

  • The Philosopher

    Michael Jordan was a better defensive player than Bowen. I’m not trying to make it seem like Jordan could have shut down everybody. I understand Ray Allen is a good player, even a Hall of Fame player, but Reggie Miller was different from Ray because Reggie had more than Ray in his offensive arsenal, and Reggie had deeper range than Ray. Ray would have nothing for Michael Jordan.

  • The Philosopher

    Also Teddy, one of Reggie Miller’s sickest moves was the step back J. From multiple angles including from mid range… He also used his body to create free throw opportunities better than Ray Allen does. And Reggie’s mid range game was better. Ray has never shot 50% from the floor either. Reggie has.

  • http://slamonline.com Allenp

    To correct myself, in the three seasons when Jordan didn’t reach the 1,800 shot plateau, not the 2,000 shot platueau.
    And Yes, Jordan shot roughly 50 percent for his career, but he didn’t shoot over 50 percent EVERY year. Besides, Shaq, Kareem and Wilt shot over 50 percent too, and only Wilt had the sort of shot attempts Jordan did.
    Bottom line, Mike used to put it up something fierce.

  • http://www.stuffwhitepeoplelike.com Tarzan Cooper

    Newsflash, jordan took tons of shots, and at great percentages. Mike was not a better defender than bruce bowen. The argument could be made that bruce was the best perimeter defender ever. And he didnt do it by just bodying and shoving ppl, like some call defense. He played d with his feet mostly, and his head, and pestered with his quick hands. All jesus needs is a sliver of daylight to get his shot up, then who is tryn to d him doesnt matter, its all about if his shot is going in or not.

  • jumpman3224

    @Philosopher: I don’t know if I follow. On one hand you’re saying that it is easier for AI and similar players to score nowadays because they can carry the ball and because the NBA was more physical in past eras. But, on the other hand you are harsh on kobe for giving up the occaisional big scoring game in today’s era. With the ability to have more free movement as an offensive player, doesnt that mean that it is harder for a defensive player to play shut down D in today’s game. You are commending Jordan’s D and also saying that it he essentially had it easier, because offense players didnt have the advantages they have today. Maybe Im just too nervous about tonight’s game and not following you. Also, ‘Nique’s 57 was in the reg season. I thought we were talking reg season (Antawn & Gil v. Kobe were both in the reg season). Finally let’s not forget that Kobe will go down as one of the best defensive guards ever due to his massive amount of all-nba D honors.
    *left a similar post from blackberry which has been pending approval for hours.

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  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Philosopher, you don’t think Ray Ray would have killed Jordan coming off those big @ss Boston screens? He would! And I understand Reggie was a killer, trust me, he is one of my favorite players ever and I’m a KNICKS FAN (!), but Allen is way more talented offensively than you’re giving him credit for.

  • nastierthanu

    Ok I read thru all of these comments and no-one says anything about the kevin duckworth call. Duckworth baby!!! @philosopher man mj was bad but cats got @him to. 1 game doesn’t a career make. Kobe’s a beast and his squad is writing history as we speak. Say what u will but if they win the chip he will be in the conversation. He’s highly skilled and has some great years left. You can’t deny that he’s one of if not the best closure in the game. 6 game winners says something.

  • Ronald

    @Philosopher: Phil Jax has said before that MJ palmed the ball during his dribbles consistently and that gave him an insane advantage to get his shot off.

  • The Philosopher

    @jumpmman3224: Kobe is supposed to be the next thing to Jordan so, wouldn’t it behoove Kobe to exhaust the kind of energy he procures on offense to the defensive end? Wouldn’t Kobe be smart enough to do that without getting cheap fouls? If Kobe is great enough, he shall overcome ANY perimeter threat.
    In Jordan’s day, offensive players had advantages that players today do not. Karl Malone is an example. But again, you’re raising interesting points. But if an offensive player swings elbows, they’ll call it. Flopping was less frequent in Jordan’s day, too.

  • The Philosopher

    @Ronald: That was part of the “unwritten Jordan Rules” that Jordan’s former opponents used to reference to.

  • http://slamonline.com Bryan Crawford

    The Philosopher went from saying Kobe got lit up by Ray Allen (which didn’t happen) and then said later down the line that he is a Laker fan and he wants Kobe to win? What?! I’m officially flabbergasted now.

  • The Philosopher

    @Bryan Crawford: I am a Laker fan, for whoEVER Magic Johnson is rolling with, I’M ROLLING WITH. And, it’s the symbolic nature and the circumstances surrounding Kobe’s team getting a quite dubious record bestowed upon them by a player who is inferior to the supposed heir apparent. It didn’t matter WHO was guarding Ray. Someone was supposed to pull a ‘Bill Laimbeer’ on his @ss.

  • Ronald

    @Phil: Yeah, someone should have knocked him on his ass. But it would have never been Kobe doing it (y’know foul trouble and all) and neither would MJ been the one to knock him down on his ass either if he was in foul trouble. Your example is wrong. You can’t blame Kobe for Jesus getting a record in the finals. I mean, I never hear you talk about how MJ would never have allowed his to team to be swept in the finals, yet you still call Lebron the king.

  • JudgeHimNot

    Yes, perhaps they ain’t comin’ back to L.A. Staples Center, maybe because L.A. Lakers can win it all in Boston Garden. I mean, who knows? Maybe Paul Pierce is right. Because if that’d happen, they’ll really never come back to Staples Center this Finals. :)

  • Klav

    So who said that Sugar Ray was gonna have a good night? After a career night he has a nightmare of a game? Kobe played like sh!t yet again…10 for 28? And looks like the refs went “easy” on foul calling after the atrocities that were games 1 and 2. Thankfully the reviews of the calls went correct this time for both teams. And uhh Jax needs to keep Brown off the court and put Sasha in. That is all.

  • http://thetroyblog.com Teddy-the-Bear

    Philosopher, again, MJ got lit up on the regular by other great players. Nothing new here..

  • http://slamonline.com tealish

    Teddy…I understand you’re trying to counter the MJ mystique, but you’re knocking aside hyperbole for an ever greater hyperbole… MJ got lit up ON THE REGULAR? Come on now.

  • roebro

    so does this mean that Pierce will let the Celtics lose the remaining 2 games in Boston just to back up his prediction?

  • Jackie Moon

    Can we stop comparing Kobe to MJ?
    MJ would not have ever had such a despicable shooting night, especially in the Finals … Oh, wait…Year Finals Opponent FGM FGA
    1998 Utah Game 1 13 29
    1998 Utah Game 6 15 35
    1997 Utah Game 3 9 22
    1997 Utah Game 4 11 27
    1997 Utah Game 6 15 35
    1996 Seattle Game 4 6 19
    1996 Seattle Game 6 5 19
    1991 Lakers Game 3 11 28

  • Jackie Moon

    So Paul, do you still not want the series to come back to LA?

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