Paul Pierce still doing playoff damage at 36

Toronto Raptors' Greivis Vasquez defends Brooklyn Nets' Paul Pierce (34) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 25, 2014, in New York. The Nets won 102-98. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Toronto Raptors' Greivis Vasquez defends Brooklyn Nets' Paul Pierce (34) during the second half of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series Friday, April 25, 2014, in New York. The Nets won 102-98. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

He may not be flashy, his offense might not always be pretty, but it’s hard to argue with results. Enjoying the most productive postseason among ‘Hawks in the NBA, Paul Pierce, at 36, is still the best former Kansas player in the league.

A little more than a week into the NBA Playoffs, none of the other former Jayhawks chasing an NBA title have played as big a role for their team as Pierce has for Brooklyn.

Here’s a look at the playoff averages for the six former Jayhawks in the hunt:

• Paul Pierce, Brooklyn: 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 46.8% FGs, 31.4 minutes — Brooklyn tied with Toronto, 2-2

• Kirk Hinrich, Chicago: 9.8 points, 4.5 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.0 steal, 37.8% FGs, 31.9 minutes (age: 33) — Chicago trails Washington, 3-1

• Mario Chalmers, Miami: 8.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 42.9% FGs, 50% 3s, 27.2 minutes (age: 27) — Miami leads Charlotte, 3-0

• Nick Collison, Oklahoma City: 2.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.0 block, 40% FGs, 15.4 minutes (age: 33) — Oklahoma City tied with Memphis, 2-2

• Thomas Robinson, Portland: 2.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.0 blocks, 50% FGs, 8.2 minutes (age: 23) — Portland leads Houston, 3-1

• Drew Gooden, Washington: 0.5 points, 0.8 rebounds, 25% FGs, 9.0 minutes (age: 32) — Washington leads Chicago, 3-1

Now in his 16th season, Pierce put up 22 points and hit 9 of 14 shots Sunday in Game 4 against Toronto.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grCS4gEvcU8

The cagy head fakes and moves that kept Pierce’s offense flowing all evening weren’t enough for a Nets victory, though. The Raptors won, 87-79, because Pierce’s layup with 6:12 to go was Brooklyn’s last field goal of the game.

As Rod Boone wrote for Newsday, the Nets missed their last six shots and went turnover-crazy. Pierce knew they only had themselves to blame:

“I think a lot of it was on us, our
execution, our turnovers. A
combination of our turnovers and our
lack of execution really did us in.”

With his team now tied with Toronto, 2-2, in the best-of-seven series, Pierce told Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News the Nets are capable of far better.

“You get in a playoff situation, one
guy or two to three guys want to do it
on their own instead of just running
the offense, executing. I think we got
caught up into that. When we learn our
plays, we’ve got movement, we seem to
score most of the time, but I just
think we got out of our offense and
that can’t happen in the playoffs.
It’s got to come down to execution.
You can’t have turnovers, especially
in the fourth quarter.”

Unfortunately for the players and coaches around the league, there was more to discuss than the playoffs this weekend. A veteran leader on and off the court, Pierce also spoke about the alleged racist comments made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling.

Gooden wisdom

Chicago Bulls center Joakim Noah (13) shoots under pressure from Washington Wizards forward Drew Gooden (90) during the first half of Game 4 of an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series in Washington, Sunday, April 27, 2014. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

With starting big man Nene suspended for Game 4, Washington gave veteran power forward Gooden 26 minutes of court time Sunday against Chicago.

It didn’t translate into much production — two points, two rebounds — but Washington won, 98-89, to put the No. 4 seed Bulls in a 3-1 hole, and on the brink of elimination.

Still, Gooden had some wise words to share with Michael Lee of the Washington Post, regarding Game 5, Tuesday at Chicago (7 p.m., TNT).

“It’s an old saying: ‘Once satisfied,
all forward progress ceases.’ So we
don’t want to come in here satisfied
with just three wins. We want to go in
there and go for the jugular.”

That wasn’t the 12th-year pro’s only line.

Always entertaining, Gooden couldn’t let himself off too easy for his stat line, either.

Another Robinson denial

Houston Rockets' James Harden (13) put sup a shot against Portland Trail Blazers' Thomas Robinson (41) during the first half in Game 2 of an opening-round NBA basketball playoff series Wednesday, April 23, 2014, in Houston. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

You can count on a couple of things in the first-round series between Portland and Houston.

First of all, each game will be entertaining (three of the four so far have gone to overtime). Secondly, Robinson will come off the bench and deny some Rocket at the rim.

Though the second-year power forward has played sparingly for the Trail Blazers, Robinson has delivered a highlight-worthy blocked shot four times in the series — Portland leads, 3-1.

On Sunday, he blocked Dwight Howard on an alley-oop attempt.

Game 5 is 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Houston (TNT).

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