Washington Wizards forward Paul Pierce was less than a half second too late on releasing the last shot of his team’s second-round playoff series against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Hawks led Friday night’s Game 6 by three points with less than 10 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. Pierce received a pass from the top of the key and dribbled to the corner. He had to evade Hawks forward Kyle Korver, which wasted precious time and made the shot more difficult.
He still nailed it.
Unfortunately for the Wizards, replay clearly showed that the ball was still in Pierce’s hand when the buzzer sounded. The referees overturned the call on the court, thus ending the series and Washington’s season.
The Hawks have advanced to the Eastern Conference final for the first time since 1970. They will play LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Mills/USA TODAY Sports Images
