Paul Pierce had his first postseason DNP-CP in the Los Angeles Clippers' 102-81 win over the Portland Trail Blazers in Game 2 of their first-round matchup. It has left the 38-year-old to ponder about his playing career as he has two more years left on his contract.
Pierce registered career-lows across the board in his first season with the Clippers. The Truth averaged only 6.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 18.1 minutes per game. He also shot just 38.3 percent from the field while starting in just 38 games.
In his 18 seasons in the NBA, the 10-time All-Star has appeared in a total of 159 playoff games. He came off the bench for the first in the postseason in Game 1 against the Blazers followed by his first playoff DNP-CP.
"I almost did it. A guy like Paul, you always want to use him," Clippers head coach Doc Rivers said in an interview with The Vertical. He coached Pierce during their time in Boston and led the franchise to a championship in 2008.
The 2008 Finals MVP was very open about his frustrations in not playing in an important postseason game. He said that it is difficult because he is a competitor and has been in a lot of situations in his career.
The publication asked Pierce if he would be retiring at the end of the season as he still has two more years left on the three-year, $10 million contract he signed with the Clippers last offseason. He answered, "The last few years it has been an end-of-the-season decision. I'll make that decision after this season, too."
Pierce admitted that he wants one more run for his second NBA championship. However, it would be very difficult to do it with teams like the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder on the way.
The Celtics legend also said that he would like to have the same goodbye Kobe Bryant had in his last game with the Los Angeles Lakers. He wants to have that same moment in Boston where the city still views him as one of their all-time greats.
According to Basketball Reference, Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in his 15 years with the Celtics. After the retirement of Bryant, there are only a few more players from their generation that still play including Pierce, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter.
Check the video below to see the top ten plays in the career of The Truth.