May 9, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce (34) makes the game-winning basket over Atlanta Hawks guard Kent Bazemore (24) and Hawks guard Dennis Schroder (17) as time expires in the fourth quarter in game three of the second round of the NBA Playoffs. at Verizon Center. The Wizards won 103-101. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Charlotte Hornets In Need Of Retooling, Not Rebuilding by Andrew C. Fisher

With his Washington Wizards trailing the Atlanta Hawks 104-101 in the final seconds of Game 4, Paul Pierce found himself wide open behind the three-point line. His jumper rimmed out, however, and after a pair of free throws the Hawks came away with a 106-101 victory, evening the second-round playoff series at two games apiece.

People all over Twitter were quick to joke that Pierce missed because nobody was covering him.

Paul Pierce's problem was, he just found himself TOO wide open, missed the tying 3 long. Needed two guys flying at him. — Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) May 12, 2015

Given his ridiculous game-winner two days earlier, there might be some logic to that theory. In fact, there’s even a bit of statistical data to support the argument:

Paul Pierce missed open game-tying 3-pointer late In small sample, he's shot better on contested 3s (10-17) than open ones (6-14)in series — ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 12, 2015

Over the course of his 17-year NBA career, Pierce has made a habit of stepping up his play when it matters most. His first bucket of the game on Monday moved him into sole possession of 20th place on the league’s all-time playoff scoring list, ahead of another former Boston Celtic, Dennis Johnson.

Pierce now has 3,138 career points in the postseason–45 more and he’ll eclipse Johnson’s longtime teammate Kevin McHale for 19th overall.

Pierce also passed Chauncey Billups for sixth place all-time in three-pointers made in the playoffs. With 268, Pierce is 17 away from catching Derek Fisher for fifth.

In addition, Pierce is climbing the career postseason free-throw list as well. He recently took over the 14th spot from Elgin Baylor (847) and at 854 needs just seven more to top Dwyane Wade (860) for 13th.

Beyond staking his claim in the record books, what Pierce is doing as a 37-year-old in the 2014-15 playoffs is remarkable in its own right. He finished Monday’s contest with 22 points on 8-for-13 shooting (5-for-7 from beyond the arc), along with five rebounds, an assist and three blocks.

Pierce has scored 18 or more points in four of Washington’s eight playoff games. Over 73 regular-season outings with the Wizards this year, he reached the 18-point mark on only 10 occasions.

Along with his 5-for-7 long-range performance in Game 4, Pierce went 5-of-8 on three-pointers in Washington’s Game 2 defeat in Atlanta, giving him five made threes in two of the last three matchups with the Hawks. During the regular season, Pierce never connected on more than four three-pointers.

Before this series, the last time Pierce sunk five triples in a game was as a member of the Brooklyn Nets, on March 30, 2014.

The three blocks Pierce recorded in Game 4 also tied his season-high, a total he’s reached just four times in two years.

In the 2014-15 regular season, Pierce averaged 11.9 points per game while shooting .447 from the floor and .389 from three-point land. In the playoffs, he’s elevated those numbers to 16.4 PPG, a .530 field goal percentage and a staggering .545 three-point field goal percentage.

Pierce knocked down 1.6 treys per game in the regular season, but in the postseason he’s hitting 3.8 per contest. Of every NBA player still alive in the playoffs, league MVP Stephen Curry (4.0 per game) is the only one making more threes than Pierce.

Among players averaging at least one three-point attempt, Pierce’s .545 long-distance shooting percentage in the best in the league this postseason.

At this rate, “The Truth” may never retire.