Kicked Out of Playoffs With Clean Sweep, Paul Pierce Recounts Ex-Teammate’s Hilarious Stunt in 2004

The playoffs seem to be perfect timing for ex-NBA stars to revisit their own memories of the crucial stage of the season. Working along the same lines, the official Instagram account of the Truth Longue Show has shared an old clip of Paul Pierce discussing a story from the 2004 NBA playoffs. Pierce, who won the championship in 2008 and was named the Finals MVP, shared a hilarious instance involving ex-teammate Chucky Atkins when their team, the Boston Celtics was on the verge of a clean sweep at the hands of the Indiana Pacers.

Paul Pierce revisited the moment they were down 3-0 in the series and had gone for lunch at Newbury Street. “We down 3-0. We eating lunch. I think we gonna have a good lunch, we play tomorrow. He (Atkins) had like three shots of Patron. I’m like, what you… [Atkins was] like, ‘Man, About to lose anyway,'” Pierce recollected on the Truth Lounge Show.

It is worth mentioning that this post comes during the time teams are being swept left, right, and center. Even the caption to the video posted by the Truth Lounge Show and Paul Pierce’s IG account reads, “With teams being sent home from the playoffs, here is the Chucky Atkins story you didn’t know you needed.” Notably, so far in the playoffs, two teams have witnessed an end to their championship aspirations without winning even a single game.

While the Minnesota Timberwolves ousted the Phoenix Suns after a 4-0 sweep, the New Orleans Pelicans suffered a similar fate at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Los Angeles Lakers made a comeback after being on the verge of a clean sweep (3-0). They won Game 4 but eventually lost the series 4-1. Amid all of this, it was natural for Paul Pierce to share the story of the time his own team suffered a clean sweep in the playoffs.

What caused the Boston Celtics’ clean sweep in 2004?

One of the primary reasons for the Celtics’ embarrassing loss was the complete offensive failure of the team. Not a single player other than Paul Pierce showed any consistency with their performances. Notably, it was only Pierce who scored 20 or more points in three of the four games the team played in the series. In Game 3, no player from the Celtics, except for Ricky Davis, could cross even the 15-point mark.

Another reason for the Celtics’ defeat, both in the offensive department and in the 2004 playoffs, was the Pacers’ defensive prowess. The Pacers’ defensive play was led by players like Ron Artest (now known as Metta World Sandiford) and Jermaine O’Neal. Notably, Artest made it to the NBA All-Defensive Team 4 times throughout his career and earned the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in the 2004 NBA season itself. And it seems from Pierce’s revelation on Atkins that the team did not have much hope to begin with.