| |
|
NBA Playoffs -- Pierce, Wizards steal Game 1
By Homer D. Sayson PhilBoxing.com Sun, 19 Apr 2015

CHICAGO -- At age 37, Paul Pierce appears to still have a lot left in the tank.
The 16-year NBA veteran led all scorers with 20 points, including a big 3 in the extra session, to lead the Washington Wizards to a 93-86 overtime victory over the Toronto Raptors in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference quarterfinals at the Air Canada Centre on Saturday afternoon.
The 6-foot-7, 235-pound small forward swished 4-of-7 shots from downtown and 7-of-10 overall. The 10-time All-Star also had four boards, a steal and a block in 37 minutes of action.
"It takes the pressure off us and puts in on them now," Pierce told the Associated Press after Washington handed Toronto it;s seventh straight Game 1 loss in a playoffs series, a streak that dates back to 2001.
Pierce's heroics came at an opportuned time as Wizards ace point guard John Wall struggled mightily, missing 13 of 18 shots for a mere 10 points. Bradley Beal finished with 16 points while Nene had 12 and 13 rebounds for Washington, which shot a low 39.4 percent from the filed (39-of-99) and 28.6 percent from 3-point range (6-for-21).
With a 1-0 lead in the young series, the fifth-seeded Wizards stole home court advantage from the fourth-seeded Raptors.
Toronto, which will also host Game 2 of the best-of-7 series, couldn't get anythng going, making just 35 of 92 field goals and 6 of 29 triples. After Terence Ross missed what would have been a game-winning tip shot as time expired in regulation, the Raptors were overpowered in overtime, 11-4.
Amir Johnson did most of the heavy lifting for Toronto with 18 points and 8 boards while DeMar DeRozan pitched in 15 markers and 6 dimes. But Kyle Lowry, an All-Star playmaking point guard, struggled with just 7 points with three turnovers, before fouling out with 2:35 remaining in the fourth quarter and the Raptors trailing, 79-75. (HDS)
Photo: Paul Pierce (R) lent his veteran experience to the Washington Wizards, who stole Game 1 from the Toronto Raptors on Saturday afternoon at the Air Canada Centre.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Homer D. Sayson.
Recent PhilBoxing.com In-House articles:
May 16: Kelvin Davis-Peter Dobson Welterweight Clash & Yan Santana-Cristian Cruz Featherweight Battle Added to Keyshawn Davis-Nahir Albright II Card LIVE on DAZN , Wed, 22 Apr 2026World Super Flyweight contender John ‘Scrappy’ Ramirez waiting for Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez’ final decision , Wed, 22 Apr 2026Former champ Lawrence Okolie tested positive in VADA testing By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Wed, 22 Apr 2026Salim Ellis-Bey Secures Win for Team USA on Day One of World Boxing Cup - Stage 1 , Wed, 22 Apr 2026Garcia, Young, Gatus banner tough field in 20th Philippine Xiangqi Open Tournament on May 1 By Marlon Bernardino, , Wed, 22 Apr 2026THE PAST WEEK IN ACTION APRIL 20 APRIL 2026: Baumgardner Outpoints Shin, Retains IBF/WBA/WBO 130 Lb Titles; Daniels Stops Green in 9; Lorente SD Collins in WBC Welter Eliminator By Eric Armit, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Round 12 with Mauricio Sulaimán: A Year of Memories Between the Ring and Faith By Mauricio Sulaimán, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026High Stakes in Ufa: Subkhankulov and Usmonov Clash for IBF #2 Spot By Dong Secuya, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Elorde Jr. is new PBF president By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Ancajas wins 1st bout as feather By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Ito knockouts Lerasan in 1st round By Lito delos Reyes, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Kristian ‘KP’ Prenga developing into Albanian heavyweight boxing GOAT , Tue, 21 Apr 2026IIEE PSME Quezon City Simba’s Tribe amazed with GAB Chairman Rivera’s advocacy for chess players By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026‘CALM’ PERO READY TO FACE MILLER’S FIRE , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Hall of Famer Rafael Marquez's son Aaron wins professional debut By Gabriel F. Cordero, , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Top Super Featherweights Tsendy Erdenebat & Cobia Breedy Battle in 10-Round Main Event of ProBoxTV’s ‘The Contender Series’ at Live! Casino Hotel Maryland , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Registration Now Open for the Return of the Butterfly Brawl at the Iconic Santa Monica Pier – August 22, 2026 , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Brackets Set for USA Boxing Elite High Performance Team at World Boxing Cup - Stage One , Tue, 21 Apr 2026Team Altagracia Primus Praedia Land Holding champ in Pacquiao chess By Marlon Bernardino, , Tue, 21 Apr 20262-Division World Champion Daniel Ponce De León Confirmed for Ninth Annual Box Fan Expo, During Cinco De Mayo Weekend, Saturday May 2, in Las Vegas , Tue, 21 Apr 20262026 NBA Playoffs: First Round Game 1 Recap By Reylan Loberternos, , Mon, 20 Apr 2026FIDE Master Ivan Travis Cu gains a total of 36 rating points, bringing his FIDE rating to 2321 by May after completing 2 chess tournaments in Spain By Marlon Bernardino, , Mon, 20 Apr 2026Irish super middleweight prospect Tommy ‘The Governor’ Hyde Improves to 15-0 with 10th KO , Mon, 20 Apr 2026IBA Bare-Knuckle Director attends historic Gambian Elite National Championships , Sun, 19 Apr 2026Rosales stops Obedencio in RFL 4 By Lito delos Reyes, , Sun, 19 Apr 2026 |

|
|
|
|
|