This mark kind of snuck up on me. I didn't realize that Paul Pierce was so close to passing Larry Bird on the scoring list, but by all accounts he should get there against the Bobcats on Tuesday.

Green and blooming - BostonHerald.com

Pierce, with 21 points, six assists and six rebounds, enjoyed his 10th straight game with at least 15 points and five assists. That, according to CSNNE and Bentley University sports information director Dick Lipe, ties the longest such streak of the Celtics captain’s career. The 21-point performance leaves Pierce nine points shy of a tie with Larry Bird for second on the Celtics’ all-time scoring list. Bird scored 21,791 points. John Havlicek, the all-time leader, is a galaxy away at 26,395. But Pierce, who should move past Bird during tomorrow’s game against Charlotte, won’t need much time. The flow has returned to the Celtics, who have won seven of their last eight games and eight of their last 10.

Like a vintage Pinot Noir, Pierce seems to be getting better with age. According to Zach Lowe, he's posting his best PER since the Celtics picked up KG and Ray. So much for him being too old.

Tommy once caused a stir by saying that Pierce is actually a better offensive player than Larry Bird was. Note that he said offensive player, not player. That's an interesting slow day in the offseason debate, but I'm content knowing that I had the honor to watch both of them play for the Celtics (likely) for their whole careers.

So wherever I watch the game from, I'll be giving Pierce a standing ovation when he hits that mark. Just an amazing achievement.