No Suspension For Celtics Pierce
BOSTON (CBS) - Celtics forward Paul Pierce will not be suspended for his actions in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the Miami Heat, WBZ-TV has confirmed.
Pierce was ejected with just under eight minutes remaining in the fourth quarter on Sunday after picking up his second technical foul of the game. Miami's Dwayne Wade ran into Pierce, who was setting a screen for Ray Allen, with quite a bit of force resulting in the two players exchanging words.
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Referee Ed Mallow handed out double-technicals to Wade and Pierce. It was Pierce's second of the game, meaning he would have to watch the rest from the locker room.
Read: Pierce Ejected For "Verbal Taunt"
"It's what we call a verbal taunt," crew chief Dan Crawford said. "He directed profanity towards Wade. And in the rulebook, that is a verbal taunt. And it just so happened to be Pierce's second technical foul."
"I thought Dwayne Wade's was an absolute flagrant," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said after the game. "He had no intentions… he was just trying to run through Paul. I told Paul, 'You still don't react."'
Pierce was worried about a suspension and called his actions on Sunday "selfish."
