Paul Pierce stunned the NBA in 2001 with his 46-point second-half performance against the New Jersey Nets. However, his iconic night began with an atrocious start in the first half. The Truth reflected on the rollercoaster performance on KG Certified, prompting Kevin Garnett to pull his leg.
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Garnett shared a clip from their conversation on X. Even though it showcased Pierce’s unshakeable confidence on the night, KG soon ridiculed his former teammate by using his words against him. The 48-year-old quipped, “1-14 from the field but 14-14 in his heart… P a fool.”
1-14 from the field but 14-14 in is heart.. P a fool 🤣🤣💯 https://t.co/7r6duJP7Hu
— Kevin Garnett (@KevinGarnett5KG) July 25, 2024
The mockery stemmed from Pierce‘s bold yet hilarious reflection on his first-half struggles. Despite his shooting woes, the 46-year-old insisted on feeling confident throughout the game. Comparing himself to sharp-shooter Stephen Curry, he recalled,
“I was like, ‘Man, I’m missing but they all feel good’…When you shoot the ball, you know it’s going in when you release it…It’s like when Steph Curry shoot it and he turn around. He knows it going in…I’m 1-14 and I didn’t feel off…I’m like, ‘Something wrong with this rim, dog. This can’t be 10 feet'”.
Despite KG’s remarks, Pierce’s confidence paid off that night. After going 1-16 in the first half, the 10x All-Star soon found his rhythm. In the following 23 minutes, he went 12-18 from the field and 4-4 from beyond the arc to score 33 points.
His heroics carried the game into overtime, where he scored 13 more points to lead the Boston Celtics to a 105-98 victory.
On top of this, this performance extended the franchise’s then-winning streak, building the foundation for their impressive playoff run to the Eastern Conference Finals. As a result, reflecting on this moment, Pierce could only see the positives, validating his recent remarks.
