Paul Pierce tried to fight back the tears, but his emotions soon overwhelmed him as the fans inside TD Garden paid tribute to a former Boston Celtics champion who was playing in his farewell game here Sunday.

They serenaded Pierce before he was introduced as a starting forward for the Clippers against the Celtics and they chanted “We want Paul” while he sat on the bench after having played the first 5 minutes 15 seconds of the game.

Then, with 19.8 seconds left in the Clippers’ 107-102 defeat, Pierce came back into the game and delivered a moment that was unforgettable even for a 19-year veteran who has plenty of them on his ledger.

Pierce received a pass from Austin Rivers and drilled a 28-foot three-pointer with 11 seconds left.


The fans had seen Pierce do just that so many times during the 15 years he played for the Celtics.

Those were Pierce’s only points of the game, but it was one last special shot, one last special moment from a player who is retiring at the end of this season.

“It’s a tough situation. You’ve been sitting for like the last two hours and then I had to come in there and get a shot,” Pierce said. “But I’m glad I ended it that way…

“It was a lot of emotion running through. My teammates kind of felt it too. I’m glad I was able to cap it off, my last game in the Garden. At least I can just say I put one last bucket in at the end of the game.”


After Pierce made the shot, he stood on the court and waved to the crowd, which yelled and cheered with gusto his every move.

“I never felt anything like this,” Pierce said. “I truly appreciate my time here. I truly appreciate tonight. Fans really showered me with a lot of love. It was just — you really don’t know what you meant to a team while you’re playing, and you really don’t get a chance to really reflect on it while you’re playing.”

When Pierce was introduced as the last starter for the Clippers, he got a long standing ovation. Then the chants of “Truth,” his nickname, started.

Just before tipoff, Pierce bent over at center court and kissed Lucky, the insignia of Boston’s mascot.


There was a video tribute during a first-quarter timeout that showed Pierce holding up the 2008 NBA championship trophy and the 2008 Celtics championship banner.

When the camera panned to Pierce by the Clippers bench, he waved to the crowd while prancing, his eyes growing red as the tears flowed.

A few seconds later, there were “Thank you Paul Pierce” chants from the crowd.

After all of that, Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he had to play Pierce in those final seconds because, “I’m no dummy.”


“So once I thought the game was in hand to Boston, we put him back in,” Rivers said. “And him making that shot just — that’s just . . . I don’t know what the heck that is. That’s — that only happens like here, or . . . I don’t know what that is. I don’t know who can sit that long and walk in on the floor and make a shot.”

broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BA_Turner