Paul Pierce's buzzer-beater lifts Washington Wizards over Atlanta Hawks
Late heroics give Washington 2-1 lead over Atlanta in NBA play-offs while Memphis also hold a similar series lead over Golden State
Paul Pierce banked in the game winner to lift the short-handed Washington Wizards to a 103-101 NBA play-off victory over the Atlanta Hawks.
Pierce's heroics gave the Wizards a two-games-to-one lead over Eastern Conference top seeds Atlanta in their best-of-seven second-round series - and thwarted the Hawks' bid to rally from a 21-point fourth-quarter deficit.
There was no such drama in Memphis, where the Grizzlies took a 2-1 series lead over Western Conference top seeds Golden State with a 99-89 victory over the Warriors.
In Washington, Wizards coach Randy Wittman could afford to joke when the dust had settled. "Had it all the way, huh?" quipped Wittman after watching his team squander a 21-point lead only to win it at the last gasp.
I've been in that situation many times. If I miss, we don't want them to be able to call a timeout.
Washington's All-Star guard John Wall, who has five fractures in his non-shooting left hand, watched from the sidelines in street clothes as his team built a comfortable lead, only to see it evaporate in the final 10 minutes as the Hawks, sparked by their reserves, stormed back with a 21-3 scoring run.