Jamie Mottram's Sports Blog - www.misterirrelevant.com

The end of last night's Wiz-Celts OT thriller boiled down to a game of one-on-one between Gilbert Arenas (28.8 points per game) and Paul Pierce (27.2 ppg). Down by two and coming out of a timeout with 34 seconds left, Pierce caught-and-shot a three to go up by 1. After another timeout Arenas dribbled across midcourt and swished a 20-footer in Pierce's grill piece with 14 seconds remaining. It was at that point he backpedaled with authority and sent dueling hand signals to his adversary...

 The Bird(s)

Ah, Gilbird. That's just not nice. And that particular Bullets throwback will not place you on the best-dressed list (although the warmup jerseys were hot). Luckily for you, the announcers, newspapermen, onlookers, etc. do not seem to have noticed your uncomplimentary gesture. However, it was not so lucky for you when Pierce came out of Boston's ensuing timeout, dribbled far left, rose and drained a contested 22-footer in your face at the buzzer to win...

 The Pop

From the Washington Post's game recap:

"We did everything we wanted to do," Wizards forward Antawn Jamison said. "We sent him the right direction, we had two guys on him, and he hit an unbelievable shot. It was a tough shot but that's why they call him 'The Truth.' He was the truth tonight."

Also, it should be mentioned, I'm a huge Arenas fan. He's probably my favorite player in the Association aside from Juan Dixon and Steve Blake, and here's what it sounded like when Gilbert visited Sports Bloggers Live. He did not make any obscene gestures that we know of but he did say the Wiz should go back to being the Bullets.

Update: Information Leafblower posts a video-type thing of Pierce's buzzer-beater.

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• #4 Comment from ezralite77
  3/8/06 9:18 PM | Permalink

  I can't speak for the TV/radio folks, but I was covering the game in the overflow media section, which is about 30 rows up, and the normal beat reporters (newspaper, magazine, etc.) are behind the basket on the Wizards bench's side of the floor. I didn't notice the Arenas gesture because he had his back to us as he was backpedaling, and I don't recall seeing it on the Jumbotron, nor do I recall any of the writers in the Celtics locker room discussing it. For what it's worth, I don't think anybody saw it and ignored it deliberately, but it makes for an interesting sidebar.
• #3 Comment from robisdaman
  3/8/06 12:59 PM | Permalink

  And <b>you</b> forgot to mention that Gilbert then strangled a couple of puppies on his way out of the building.  Hey, if we're making stuff up...
• #2 Comment from scottstewart81
  3/8/06 11:58 AM | Permalink

  You forgot to mention the fact that after the game Pierce went in to the front row of the floor seats and started chanting curse words at the fans after the game.
• #1 Comment from monponsett
  3/8/06 9:04 AM | Permalink

  I woke up two babies screaming when The Truth buried that shot over 2 men. Seeing as Arenas had been gift-wrapped 2 game-winners the last times he played the Celtics, it was that much more sweet.
  
  If Arenas really is a Wizard, he should make that alternajersey disappear.