Isiah Thomas GOES OFF on this current NBA era

[The Amerikkkan Idol]

You don't get handed a ring, you take it. Especially when you're down 1-3
I like how you ignored him leading both teams in every stat too

He did that the year before too and what happened?

They lost.

And they were going to lose again until the scales got tipped in their favor

Are you talking about the series where he finished with 45 points in Game 7 and took the champs to the brink despite his #2 being worse than their #4?

The series where he finished with a 28-19-10 triple-double in Game 6 while holding Pierce to a ridiculous 13-5-5 on 34% shooting for the series?

The series where he finished the Celtics in 5 by snatching their soul with clutch threes in the fourth of every game?

Or the series where he had the epic 45-15-5 elimination Game 6 that finished the Celtics for good?

Please, tell me which series it was the Lebron got "hoed out" by Paul Pierce.






Are you talking about the series where he averaged 39-8-8 on 50% shooting, hit a game-winning three in Game 2 and nearly hit back-to-back threes to win Game 4???

What kind of alternative reality do you live in?







I'm sure it was magic era dust that made skinny frail players like Chris Mullin and Tom Chambers and Jerome Kersey and James Worthy immune from the Detroit mystique, but Lebron would have crumbled.

Hell, he had Mutumbo break his freaking nose with an elbow when he was a couple months into his rookie season, and it didn't "break him mentally" at all.





Magic only averaged 20ppg FOUR times in his entire career, regular season or playoffs.

He won a championship in 1980 averaging 18.3ppg in the playoffs, a championship in 1982 averaging 17.4ppg in the playoffs, a championship in 1985 averaging 17.5ppg in the playoffs, and a championship in 1988 averaging 19.9ppg in the playoffs. He had ONE title run where he averaged 20+ppg....and that was only 21.8.

He ain't going to the HOF, much less be considered top-5 all-time, on no "ppg".


And you completely ignored Bill Russell, who never even scored on Magic's level, yet dominated his era and is considered by many to be a top-10 player ever, to the point where casuals were upset that he got left off Lebron's "Mt. Rushmore".






Rick Mahorn was taken in the 1989 expansion draft, not 1990.

And I guess no one can give credit to Jordan overcoming the Bad Boy Pistons anymore, because according to you he NEVER beat them, right?

And you admit that the NBA team quality gets worse whenever expansion happens...which came in 1988 AND 1989 AND 1995.

1. Who didn't know LeBron was a stat filler? You know who else was? Wilt Chamberlain, but Bill Russell hoed Chamberlain out a TON of times. So, merely pointing out statlines means nothing to me. Wilt Chamberlain had better stats than Russell in every way, but in clutch situations, Russell get in his head. The bottom line is he lost to a team who's best player was Dwight Howard & played like a complete bytch in 2011 against Dallas, disappearing in 4 straight 4th quarters. Even LeBron defenders would tell you he's had problems in the clutch for most of his career.

2. Please, Pierce owned LeBron in 2008 & 2010. It wasn't until he joined up with already champion Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh was he able to stand up to Boston and beat them.

3. Tom Chambers & Chris Mullin are ballers, just because they were White doesn't mean they weren't any good & when did either of them ever beat Detroit in a series? Maybe they had a good game against them, but so what? They would've been lucky to survive a 7 game series against Detroit from '87-90.

4. Jerome Kersey's TrailBlazers got destroyed by Detroit in 1990, so I don't even know what you're talking about

5. James Worthy's one of the best players of all-time and a Hall of Famer, so I definitely don't understand why he wouldn't be able to play well against anybody in any era, especially in this one, where no one would be able to touch him without having a flagrant foul calld on them.

6 Yes, Mutumbo ACCIDENTALLY broke his nose once. That's not quite the same thing as getting hands put on him everytime he goes to the lane which would have happened to him had he played 25 years earlier. It's just like the NFL, where quarterbacks and receivers are allowed to do whatever the hell they want now thanks to the rules softening on offense, which is why offensive numbers are so crazy now, but if those dudes had Ronnie Lott & Lawrence Taylor putting hands on them the way they used to, then you wouldn't see it.

7. Magic averaged 20 for his career on a team with the all-time leading scorer, one of the all-time greatest forwards, and tons of other offensive players who needed the ball. That's an accomplishment. That's not a low PPG for those circumstances. When Magic was asked to score, like in game 6 in 80, he hung 42 on Dr. J's Sixers in the deciding game, while playing CENTER. Oh yeah, plus he retired with the most assists in history, so there's the fact he's the greatest passer in the history of the sport as well.

8. Yeah, the Pistons were diminished in '91. I never said they weren't. So, I don't know why you're coming at me with that. I for one never thought Jordan's Bulls were on the same level as Magic's Lakers or Bird's Celtics, who both beat Detroit in their prime. Detroit beat Chicago mercilessly in '88, '89, and '90, then they were broken up and got old, plus those wars with Boston, L.A, & Chicago had taken their tolls. The Bulls NEVER beat Detroit at their best. I've never had any problem admitting that, so I don't get why you even brought it up.

9. I've never said the NBA wasn't watered down in the '90s, incomparison to the '80s. The '80s is the best era with the best teams, which is why Jordan couldn't win in the '80s, but at least he had all-time great teams like Bird's Celtics & Isiah's Pistons holding him down. After them, Jordan never lost again when he played a full season in the playoffs and NEVER in his career lost as a favorite in a series ever. LeBron has lost in times he was the favorite multiple times.

kerr..yes deserves to go into the HOF

Oakley?

In what world does a guy who averaged 6pts a game a HOF?

Kerr never made an all-start team, how is he going into the hall of fame

Breh.

Are you saying Steve Kerr > John Stockton?

He's a troll man. He's arguing a guy who averaged 6pts a game for a career is better than the all-time leader in assists & steals, who made 11 All-Star games, and was on the Dream Team

Nah, it's different, Laimbeer shot the three towards the end of his career and he didn't take it at a high volume, the most he made in a season was 57. There are currently 14 power forwards that have made over 50, and 3 centers that have made more than 45, you drop Kristaps Porzingis off in that era and they'd be like is this guy.

Is this before or after he gets his jaw broke for looking at Charles Oakley the wrong way?

 

[hayesc0]

Everything he is saying makes zero sense with the current rules and climate of the game.

 

[Malta]

Is this before or after he gets his jaw broke for looking at Charles Oakley the wrong way?

The mythology of the 80s and 90s is the best part, Tom Chambers never got his jaw broke and routinely gave Oak 30

 

[hayesc0]

The mythology of the 80s and 90s is the best part, Tom Chambers never got his jaw broke and routinely gave Oak 30

I love basketball form that era but this guy use to get 10 boards all the time.

 

[Biscayne]

The 80s Zeke starred in had barely any defensive only specialists as players. If you were a Kelly Tripuka type who averaged 27 ppg with Zeke and could shoot, you got burn.

Agreed. Thee pace was faster back then so guys like Kelly good avg those numbers, and the rules made defense easier to play back then. Defenders now days actually might be more fundementaly sound than they were back then. Out of pure necessity.

Bulls had multiple weapons
Lakers had multiple weapons
Celtics had multiple weapons

If you transported the 2016 warriors to the bad boy detroit prime and we were playing in the 80s league under the 80s rules, gsw wouldnt be dropping 3s like that, I guarantee it

But defensively, Golden State would be an even thougher team to score against. They'd lock Detroit down. If the rules changes in today's game make it easier for teams to score, than wouldn't that mean today's great defensive teams/players are better than defensive players in the past?



Let Draymond, Klay, or Iggy be allowed to handcheck. They'd be an even better defensive team, and KD would become a solid defensive 3/4. Even Curry would become a better defender by default.

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

The mythology of the 80s and 90s is the best part, Tom Chambers never got his jaw broke and routinely gave Oak 30

You can't get through to these idiots. They think the game was played on a prison yard or something. By the time the next generation is playing, these same posters arguing this now are gonna blow shyt even more out of hand and get even more detached from reality.

 

[NYC Rebel]

The mythology of the 80s and 90s is the best part, Tom Chambers never got his jaw broke and routinely gave Oak 30

It's incredible.

 

[OC's finest]

You missed the point again..
Keep the zone defense out
Bring back handchechking
Force referee's to call traveling.......

Booom......balance....

Why do this, basketball is more popular than ever. People love monster scores and box scores.

No one wanna go back to games from the 80s and 90s where boxscores were 80 to 75

 

[ultraflexed]

Why do this, basketball is more popular than ever. People love monster scores and box scores.

No one wanna go back to games from the 80s and 90s where boxscores were 80 to 75

You bring extreme, remember defense is part of the game...around 2000 teams were averaging 100 points a game that's solid right there.

 

[OC's finest]

You bring extreme, remember defense is part of the game...around 2000 teams were averaging 100 points a game that's solid right there.

One of my big gripes is how often dudes set moving screens these days. shyts disgusting

 

[Professor Emeritus]

1. Who didn't know LeBron was a stat filler? You know who else was? Wilt Chamberlain, but Bill Russell hoed Chamberlain out a TON of times. So, merely pointing out statlines means nothing to me. Wilt Chamberlain had better stats than Russell in every way, but in clutch situations, Russell get in his head.

I love the magic word "stat filler" that somehow just explains away every performance possible.

When did Pierce EVER get in Lebron's head in the clutch? When did Pierce EVER outplay Lebron down the stretch in a big game? Name ONCE.



Let's have the definitive "Paul Pierce never, ever hoed out Lebron James" post.

Lebron was 17-13 over Pierce in the playoffs, averaging 29-8-5-2-1 on 47% shooting to Pierce's 17-5-3-1-0 on 39% shooting.

Lebron lost the first two series when he was playing 1-on-4 against Boston's Big 4, then won the next three when they had real squads going at each other. He not only outplayed Pierce individually every time, he almost always balled out in the clutch games of every series, especially in the 4th, and made huge shots.

So tell me, which series did Paul Pierce get in Lebron's head?


2008: Lebron goes up against the Pierce-Garnett-Allen-Rondo Celtics with Delonte West as his #1 sidekick.

Lebron 27-6-8 on 36% with 15 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 20-11-3 on 40% with 6 steals and 7 blocks

You want to talk clutch situations?

35-3-5 with 10 in the 4th in Game 5 in Boston (lose by 7, Pierce only had 22 until intentional fouls late in the game)
32-12-6 with 8 in the 4th in Game 6 in Cleveland (win 74-69, Pierce only had 16 on 5-15 shooting)
45-5-6 with 13 in the 4th in Game 7 in Boston (lose by 5, Pierce had 41 but didn't hit a shot in the last 6 minutes, win largely due to P.J. Brown hitting 3 straight jumpers late in the 4th).



After the game when Boston was celebrating in the locker room, Paul Pierce was watching highlights of Lebron and saying, "That's a baaad man."

How the hell was Pierce "in Lebron's head in clutch situations" when Lebron was pouring it in over the last three games, especially the 4th, and outplaying Pierce in the clutch in every one? And Lebron was only 23 while Pierce was 30 in his prime.



2010: Lebron goes up against the Pierce-Garnett-Allen-Rondo Celtics again with Mo Williams as his #1 sidekick

Lebron 27-9-7 on 45% with 13 steals and 8 blocks to Pierce 13-5-4 on 35% with 7 steals and 1 block

Lebron dominated Pierce, but literally no one on the Cavs could guard Rondo (21-6-12 on 54% shooting), Garnett (19-8-2 on 52% shooting), or Ray Allen (16-3-2 on 43% shooting) and no one on the Cavs besides Lebron scored more than 13ppg.

The ONLY game in which Pierce went off at all was Game 5, when Mike Brown switched Lebron onto Rondo in the 1st half because Rondo had destroyed them for 29-18-13 in the previous game. Lebron held Rondo to zero points in the 1st half, but without Lebron on him Pierce finally went off for 14 in the half. Brown switched Lebron back onto Pierce in the 3rd quarter, Lebron held Pierce to 3 for the quarter but Rondo went off for 12 with Mo/Delonte back on him and the game was over in a blowout before the 4th started.

This game is notable because it was the only time in their first 15 playoff matchups that Pierce would outscore Lebron, and only because Lebron defended someone else in the 1st half.

Over their 30-game playoff career, Pierce would only outscore Lebron a total of twice.

In Game 6, Lebron went off against for 27-19-10 (10 in the 4th) and held Pierce to 13-3-5 on 4-13 shooting (didn't score in the final 8 minutes), but Rondo and Garnett went off and the Celtics won.



2011: For the first time, Lebron has a squad, with Lebron-Wade-Bosh up against Pierce-Allen-Garnett-Rondo

Lebron: 28-8-4 on 47% with 9 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 20-6-3 on 46% with 4 steals and 2 blocks

The Heat dominate the Celtics in just 5.

Only games that were close in the 4th were 4 and 5.

Game 4: Lebron 35-14-3 to Pierce 27-8-3. Boston up 4 going into the 4th but Miami outscores them 17-13 in the 4th. Lebron has 11 of Miami's last 13 points, including a huge 3 to tie the game with 2 minutes left and a bucket to put them ahead with 48 seconds left before Pierce tied it up 7 seconds later. Pierce misses the potential game-winner at the buzzer with Lebron on him. In overtime Lebron hits a jumper and finds Bosh at the rim to give Miami a 4-point lead right away and it never gets closer than that.

Game 5: In the elimination game, Lebron 33-7-4 to just 12-3-4 for Pierce. Boston up 2 going into the 4th, but Lebron has 13 in the final quarter. With the score tied 87-87 with 2:10 left, Lebron scores the final 10 points to give Miami a 97-87 win, including two threes followed by a steal and dunk with 30 seconds left to seal the game.

Who is in whose head?



2012: Bosh hurt, so Lebron bringing Wade-Chalmers-Battier and either Haslem, Turiaf, or Anthony alternatively starting at center against Boston's Big 4

Lebron 34-11-4 on 53% with 8 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 18-4-2 on 34% with 10 steals and 5 blocks.

Game 6: With Boston up 3 games to 2 and the game in Boston, Lebron puts together one of the most cold-blooded games ever, hitting 45-15-5 on 19-26 shooting to Pierce's 9-3-3 on 4-18 shooting.

Outscored Pierce with 45 on 19-26 to 9 on 4-18?

Boston's soul is torn out so effectively that Game 7 feels like a foregone conclusion

Game 7: Lebron's 31-12-2 again outdoes Pierce's 19-4-2. The game is actually tied going into the 4th, but Lebron has 11 in the 4th as Miami outscores Boston 28-15 and wins going away. A stretch from 9:07 to 3:58 when Lebron accounts to 15 straight points (scores 10 on 4-6 shooting and gives 2 assists for 5 more) turns a 1-point deficit into a 7-point lead and basically decides the game, which gets no closer the rest of the way.



2014: Last hurrah for Lebron-Wade-Bosh against old man's Pierce-Garnett-Joe Johnson-Deron Williams-Shaun Livingston

Lebron 30-6-4 on 57% with 6 steals and 3 blocks to Pierce's 14-5-1 on 47% with 4 steals and 0 blocks.

Game 4: With the Nets trying to even the series at home, Lebron goes for a sick 49-6-2 on 16-24 shooting, including 9 in the 4th, to Pierce's 16-7-2. Brooklyn has their last lead at 90-89 when Lebron hits a three with 4:07 followed by another shot with 2:50 left. After a three by Bosh, Ray seals the game with free throws. Pierce doesn't score in the final 4 minutes.

Game 5: Lebron finishes Pierce off for good with 29-9-5 to Pierce's 19-2-2. Brooklyn has a 9-point lead going into the 4th, but Lebron scores 14 in the 4th to help Miami outscore them 30-19 and take the game by 2. Brooklyn actually still had an 91-83 lead with 2:50 left, but Miami goes on a 13-3 run to end the game, including a huge three by Lebron with 2:48 left to cut the lead to 5, two clutch free throws with 1:12 left to cut the lead to 1, and a final free throw with 10 seconds left to seal it. Lebron knocks the ball away from Pierce and then suffocates Joe Johnson on the Nets' final possession and they don't even get a shot off.


Game 6 2008, Game 4 2011, Game 5 2011, Game 6 2012, Game 7 2012, Game 4 2014, and Game 5 2014 were all huge clutch games where Lebron far outplayed Pierce, dominated in the 4th, and won the game.

Game 5 2008, Game 7 2008, and Game 6 2010 were the other clutch games where Lebron outplayed Pierce, but his team fell short against a much better crew.

Game 5 2010 was the only clutch game in their entire careers (out of 11) where Pierce outplayed Lebron, and only because Mike Brown had Lebron guarding Rondo instead.


In the 9 of those 11 games where both players were even playing in the fourth, Lebron balled out for 8 to 14 points and easily outscored Pierce in every. single. one.


Your "Pierce hoed Lebron" narrative is over.

 

[Mantis Toboggan M.D.]

You can't be this dumb.

I love the magic word "stat filler" that somehow just explains away every performance possible.

When did Pierce EVER get in Lebron's head in the clutch? When did Pierce EVER outplay Lebron down the stretch in a big game? Name ONCE.



Let's have the definitive "Paul Pierce never, ever hoed out Lebron James" post.

Lebron was 17-13 over Pierce in the playoffs, averaging 29-8-5-2-1 on 47% shooting to Pierce's 17-5-3-1-0 on 39% shooting.

Lebron lost the first two series when he was playing 1-on-4 against Boston's Big 4, then won the next three when they had real squads going at each other. He not only outplayed Pierce individually every time, he almost always balled out in the clutch games of every series, especially in the 4th, and made huge shots.

So tell me, which series did Paul Pierce get in Lebron's head?


2008: Lebron goes up against the Pierce-Garnett-Allen-Rondo Celtics with Delonte West as his #1 sidekick.

Lebron 27-6-8 on 36% with 15 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 20-11-3 on 40% with 6 steals and 7 blocks

You want to talk clutch situations?

35-3-5 with 10 in the 4th in Game 5 in Boston (lose by 7, Pierce only had 22 until intentional fouls late in the game)
32-12-6 with 8 in the 4th in Game 6 in Cleveland (win 74-69, Pierce only had 16 on 5-15 shooting)
45-5-6 with 13 in the 4th in Game 7 in Boston (lose by 5, Pierce had 41 but didn't hit a shot in the last 6 minutes, win largely due to P.J. Brown hitting 3 straight jumpers late in the 4th).



After the game when Boston was celebrating in the locker room, Paul Pierce was watching highlights of Lebron and saying, "That's a baaad man."

How the hell was Pierce "in Lebron's head in clutch situations" when Lebron was pouring it in over the last three games, especially the 4th, and outplaying Pierce in the clutch in every one? And Lebron was only 23 while Pierce was 30 in his prime.



2010: Lebron goes up against the Pierce-Garnett-Allen-Rondo Celtics again with Mo Williams as his #1 sidekick

Lebron 27-9-7 on 45% with 13 steals and 8 blocks to Pierce 13-5-4 on 35% with 7 steals and 1 block

Lebron dominated Pierce, but literally no one on the Cavs could guard Rondo (21-6-12 on 54% shooting), Garnett (19-8-2 on 52% shooting), or Ray Allen (16-3-2 on 43% shooting) and no one on the Cavs besides Lebron scored more than 13ppg.

The ONLY game in which Pierce went off at all was Game 5, when Mike Brown switched Lebron onto Rondo in the 1st half because Rondo had destroyed them for 29-18-13 in the previous game. Lebron held Rondo to zero points in the 1st half, but without Lebron on him Pierce finally went off for 14 in the half. Brown switched Lebron back onto Pierce in the 3rd quarter, Lebron held Pierce to 3 for the quarter but Rondo went off for 12 with Mo/Delonte back on him and the game was over in a blowout before the 4th started.

This game is notable because it was the only time in their first 15 playoff matchups that Pierce would outscore Lebron, and only because Lebron defended someone else in the 1st half.

Over their 30-game playoff career, Pierce would only outscore Lebron a total of twice.

In Game 6, Lebron went off against for 27-19-10 (10 in the 4th) and held Pierce to 13-3-5 on 4-13 shooting (didn't score in the final 8 minutes), but Rondo and Garnett went off and the Celtics won.



2011: For the first time, Lebron has a squad, with Lebron-Wade-Bosh up against Pierce-Allen-Garnett-Rondo

Lebron: 28-8-4 on 47% with 9 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 20-6-3 on 46% with 4 steals and 2 blocks

The Heat dominate the Celtics in just 5.

Only games that were close in the 4th were 4 and 5.

Game 4: Lebron 35-14-3 to Pierce 27-8-3. Boston up 4 going into the 4th but Miami outscores them 17-13 in the 4th. Lebron has 11 of Miami's last 13 points, including a huge 3 to tie the game with 2 minutes left and a bucket to put them ahead with 48 seconds left before Pierce tied it up 7 seconds later. Pierce misses the potential game-winner at the buzzer with Lebron on him. In overtime Lebron hits a jumper and finds Bosh at the rim to give Miami a 4-point lead right away and it never gets closer than that.

Game 5: In the elimination game, Lebron 33-7-4 to just 12-3-4 for Pierce. Boston up 2 going into the 4th, but Lebron has 13 in the final quarter. With the score tied 87-87 with 2:10 left, Lebron scores the final 10 points to give Miami a 97-87 win, including two threes followed by a steal and dunk with 30 seconds left to seal the game.

Who is in whose head?



2012: Bosh hurt, so Lebron bringing Wade-Chalmers-Battier and either Haslem, Turiaf, or Anthony alternatively starting at center against Boston's Big 4

Lebron 34-11-4 on 53% with 8 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 18-4-2 on 34% with 10 steals and 5 blocks.

Game 6: With Boston up 3 games to 2 and the game in Boston, Lebron puts together one of the most cold-blooded games ever, hitting 45-15-5 on 19-26 shooting to Pierce's 9-3-3 on 4-18 shooting.

Outscored Pierce with 45 on 19-26 to 9 on 4-18?

Boston's soul is torn out so effectively that Game 7 feels like a foregone conclusion

Game 7: Lebron's 31-12-2 again outdoes Pierce's 19-4-2. The game is actually tied going into the 4th, but Lebron has 11 in the 4th as Miami outscores Boston 28-15 and wins going away. A stretch from 9:07 to 3:58 when Lebron accounts to 15 straight points (scores 10 on 4-6 shooting and gives 2 assists for 5 more) turns a 1-point deficit into a 7-point lead and basically decides the game, which gets no closer the rest of the way.



2014: Last hurrah for Lebron-Wade-Bosh against old man's Pierce-Garnett-Joe Johnson-Deron Williams-Shaun Livingston

Lebron 30-6-4 on 57% with 6 steals and 3 blocks to Pierce's 14-5-1 on 47% with 4 steals and 0 blocks.

Game 4: With the Nets trying to even the series at home, Lebron goes for a sick 49-6-2 on 16-24 shooting, including 9 in the 4th, to Pierce's 16-7-2. Brooklyn has their last lead at 90-89 when Lebron hits a three with 4:07 followed by another shot with 2:50 left. After a three by Bosh, Ray seals the game with free throws. Pierce doesn't score in the final 4 minutes.

Game 5: Lebron finishes Pierce off for good with 29-9-5 to Pierce's 19-2-2. Brooklyn has a 9-point lead going into the 4th, but Lebron scores 14 in the 4th to help Miami outscore them 30-19 and take the game by 2. Brooklyn actually still had an 91-83 lead with 2:50 left, but Miami goes on a 13-3 run to end the game, including a huge three by Lebron with 2:48 left to cut the lead to 5, two clutch free throws with 1:12 left to cut the lead to 1, and a final free throw with 10 seconds left to seal it. Lebron knocks the ball away from Pierce and then suffocates Joe Johnson on the Nets' final possession and they don't even get a shot off.


Game 6 2008, Game 4 2011, Game 5 2011, Game 6 2012, Game 7 2012, Game 4 2014, and Game 5 2014 were all huge clutch games where Lebron far outplayed Pierce, dominated in the 4th, and won the game.

Game 5 2008, Game 7 2008, and Game 6 2010 were the other clutch games where Lebron outplayed Pierce, but his team fell short against a much better crew.

Game 5 2010 was the only clutch game in their entire careers (out of 11) where Pierce outplayed Lebron, and only because Mike Brown had Lebron guarding Rondo instead.


In the 9 of those 11 games where both players were even playing in the fourth, Lebron balled out for 8 to 14 points and easily outscored Pierce in every. single. one.


Your "Pierce hoed Lebron" narrative is over.

I don't think it ever seen a narrative so thoroughly dismantled like that

 

[DIMES]

the game has changed even since then though.

nikka it's been barely 7 years ago

 

[DIMES]

You can't be this dumb.

I love the magic word "stat filler" that somehow just explains away every performance possible.

When did Pierce EVER get in Lebron's head in the clutch? When did Pierce EVER outplay Lebron down the stretch in a big game? Name ONCE.



Let's have the definitive "Paul Pierce never, ever hoed out Lebron James" post.

Lebron was 17-13 over Pierce in the playoffs, averaging 29-8-5-2-1 on 47% shooting to Pierce's 17-5-3-1-0 on 39% shooting.

Lebron lost the first two series when he was playing 1-on-4 against Boston's Big 4, then won the next three when they had real squads going at each other. He not only outplayed Pierce individually every time, he almost always balled out in the clutch games of every series, especially in the 4th, and made huge shots.

So tell me, which series did Paul Pierce get in Lebron's head?


2008: Lebron goes up against the Pierce-Garnett-Allen-Rondo Celtics with Delonte West as his #1 sidekick.

Lebron 27-6-8 on 36% with 15 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 20-11-3 on 40% with 6 steals and 7 blocks

You want to talk clutch situations?

35-3-5 with 10 in the 4th in Game 5 in Boston (lose by 7, Pierce only had 22 until intentional fouls late in the game)
32-12-6 with 8 in the 4th in Game 6 in Cleveland (win 74-69, Pierce only had 16 on 5-15 shooting)
45-5-6 with 13 in the 4th in Game 7 in Boston (lose by 5, Pierce had 41 but didn't hit a shot in the last 6 minutes, win largely due to P.J. Brown hitting 3 straight jumpers late in the 4th).



After the game when Boston was celebrating in the locker room, Paul Pierce was watching highlights of Lebron and saying, "That's a baaad man."

How the hell was Pierce "in Lebron's head in clutch situations" when Lebron was pouring it in over the last three games, especially the 4th, and outplaying Pierce in the clutch in every one? And Lebron was only 23 while Pierce was 30 in his prime.



2010: Lebron goes up against the Pierce-Garnett-Allen-Rondo Celtics again with Mo Williams as his #1 sidekick

Lebron 27-9-7 on 45% with 13 steals and 8 blocks to Pierce 13-5-4 on 35% with 7 steals and 1 block

Lebron dominated Pierce, but literally no one on the Cavs could guard Rondo (21-6-12 on 54% shooting), Garnett (19-8-2 on 52% shooting), or Ray Allen (16-3-2 on 43% shooting) and no one on the Cavs besides Lebron scored more than 13ppg.

The ONLY game in which Pierce went off at all was Game 5, when Mike Brown switched Lebron onto Rondo in the 1st half because Rondo had destroyed them for 29-18-13 in the previous game. Lebron held Rondo to zero points in the 1st half, but without Lebron on him Pierce finally went off for 14 in the half. Brown switched Lebron back onto Pierce in the 3rd quarter, Lebron held Pierce to 3 for the quarter but Rondo went off for 12 with Mo/Delonte back on him and the game was over in a blowout before the 4th started.

This game is notable because it was the only time in their first 15 playoff matchups that Pierce would outscore Lebron, and only because Lebron defended someone else in the 1st half.

Over their 30-game playoff career, Pierce would only outscore Lebron a total of twice.

In Game 6, Lebron went off against for 27-19-10 (10 in the 4th) and held Pierce to 13-3-5 on 4-13 shooting (didn't score in the final 8 minutes), but Rondo and Garnett went off and the Celtics won.



2011: For the first time, Lebron has a squad, with Lebron-Wade-Bosh up against Pierce-Allen-Garnett-Rondo

Lebron: 28-8-4 on 47% with 9 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 20-6-3 on 46% with 4 steals and 2 blocks

The Heat dominate the Celtics in just 5.

Only games that were close in the 4th were 4 and 5.

Game 4: Lebron 35-14-3 to Pierce 27-8-3. Boston up 4 going into the 4th but Miami outscores them 17-13 in the 4th. Lebron has 11 of Miami's last 13 points, including a huge 3 to tie the game with 2 minutes left and a bucket to put them ahead with 48 seconds left before Pierce tied it up 7 seconds later. Pierce misses the potential game-winner at the buzzer with Lebron on him. In overtime Lebron hits a jumper and finds Bosh at the rim to give Miami a 4-point lead right away and it never gets closer than that.

Game 5: In the elimination game, Lebron 33-7-4 to just 12-3-4 for Pierce. Boston up 2 going into the 4th, but Lebron has 13 in the final quarter. With the score tied 87-87 with 2:10 left, Lebron scores the final 10 points to give Miami a 97-87 win, including two threes followed by a steal and dunk with 30 seconds left to seal the game.

Who is in whose head?



2012: Bosh hurt, so Lebron bringing Wade-Chalmers-Battier and either Haslem, Turiaf, or Anthony alternatively starting at center against Boston's Big 4

Lebron 34-11-4 on 53% with 8 steals and 9 blocks to Pierce 18-4-2 on 34% with 10 steals and 5 blocks.

Game 6: With Boston up 3 games to 2 and the game in Boston, Lebron puts together one of the most cold-blooded games ever, hitting 45-15-5 on 19-26 shooting to Pierce's 9-3-3 on 4-18 shooting.

Outscored Pierce with 45 on 19-26 to 9 on 4-18?

Boston's soul is torn out so effectively that Game 7 feels like a foregone conclusion

Game 7: Lebron's 31-12-2 again outdoes Pierce's 19-4-2. The game is actually tied going into the 4th, but Lebron has 11 in the 4th as Miami outscores Boston 28-15 and wins going away. A stretch from 9:07 to 3:58 when Lebron accounts to 15 straight points (scores 10 on 4-6 shooting and gives 2 assists for 5 more) turns a 1-point deficit into a 7-point lead and basically decides the game, which gets no closer the rest of the way.



2014: Last hurrah for Lebron-Wade-Bosh against old man's Pierce-Garnett-Joe Johnson-Deron Williams-Shaun Livingston

Lebron 30-6-4 on 57% with 6 steals and 3 blocks to Pierce's 14-5-1 on 47% with 4 steals and 0 blocks.

Game 4: With the Nets trying to even the series at home, Lebron goes for a sick 49-6-2 on 16-24 shooting, including 9 in the 4th, to Pierce's 16-7-2. Brooklyn has their last lead at 90-89 when Lebron hits a three with 4:07 followed by another shot with 2:50 left. After a three by Bosh, Ray seals the game with free throws. Pierce doesn't score in the final 4 minutes.

Game 5: Lebron finishes Pierce off for good with 29-9-5 to Pierce's 19-2-2. Brooklyn has a 9-point lead going into the 4th, but Lebron scores 14 in the 4th to help Miami outscore them 30-19 and take the game by 2. Brooklyn actually still had an 91-83 lead with 2:50 left, but Miami goes on a 13-3 run to end the game, including a huge three by Lebron with 2:48 left to cut the lead to 5, two clutch free throws with 1:12 left to cut the lead to 1, and a final free throw with 10 seconds left to seal it. Lebron knocks the ball away from Pierce and then suffocates Joe Johnson on the Nets' final possession and they don't even get a shot off.


Game 6 2008, Game 4 2011, Game 5 2011, Game 6 2012, Game 7 2012, Game 4 2014, and Game 5 2014 were all huge clutch games where Lebron far outplayed Pierce, dominated in the 4th, and won the game.

Game 5 2008, Game 7 2008, and Game 6 2010 were the other clutch games where Lebron outplayed Pierce, but his team fell short against a much better crew.

Game 5 2010 was the only clutch game in their entire careers (out of 11) where Pierce outplayed Lebron, and only because Mike Brown had Lebron guarding Rondo instead.


In the 9 of those 11 games where both players were even playing in the fourth, Lebron balled out for 8 to 14 points and easily outscored Pierce in every. single. one.


Your "Pierce hoed Lebron" narrative is over.

Beatiful support & argument. But I'm going to disagree with the year 2008. Pierce won the matchup year imo

 

[Jplaya2023]

Pierce was past his prime when lebron stsrted beating him in the playoffs