Paul Pierce shows he’s not all talk, Big performance backs up words

by **Brandon$$** Sun May 23, 2010 1:26 pm

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2010/05/23/pierce_shows_hes_not_all_talk/

Paul Pierce doesn’t regret a word he said coming off the floor at Amway Arena after the Celtics’ Game 2 win. The Celtics swept the first two games on the Magic’s home court and the All-Star and captain told the fans, “See ya’ll next year.’’

Pierce and his teammates were able to put actions behind the words in their 94-71 Game 3 blowout at TD Garden last night. Pierce scored 15 points on 6-of-12 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds, two more than Magic big man Dwight Howard as the Celtics dug Orlando into a three-games-to-none-hole.

He said part of the talk was just fueling excitement around a game that already had a level of importance that went without saying for both teams.

“I’m a veteran, man,’’ Pierce said. “That stuff is good and it’s for people to read and people to see and all that, but at the end of the day it’s a game. People don’t know I like to play mind games. Sometimes I’m serious, sometimes I’m just kidding. It’s for the fun of the game. You’ve got to love sometimes when you see the back-and-forth talking, but in the right spirit, without disrespecting anybody.’’

After hearing about a tweet from Pierce’s Twitter account that read “Anybody got a BROOM?’’ Howard said, “Pride comes before a fall.’’ Pierce said his account was hacked and after the Celtics’ win he added that while he isn’t opposed to talking trash, he wouldn’t disrespect the Magic like that. He didn’t disagree with the content of the tweet, however.

“I would never disrespect the Orlando Magic’s team and say we’re going to sweep,’’ Pierce said. “That’s not me. That’s not my character. But my character is I that I feel strongly enough to say that this is what we want to do as a team — come win two games at home. I don’t know who I offended, but that’s the goal whether people like to hear it or not — to win two games. And I don’t regret saying that. At the same time I’ve got a lot of respect for that team and what they’ve accomplished.’’