Chris Paul Tells Paul Pierce 'You're Not Ending Your Career in Utah'

The Los Angeles Clippers avoided elimination Friday night with a 98-93 victory over the Utah Jazz. The first-round NBA playoffs series will return to the Staples Center on Sunday for a winner-take-all Game 7, which could mark the end of Paul Pierce's career.

Before the 2016-17 season began, Pierce declared his intention to sign an honorary contract with the Boston Celtics and retire this summer. Chris Paul made sure his teammate didn't play his final game on the road.

Without the injured Blake Griffin, the Clippers star point guard led his squad to victory with 29 points and eight assists. In a postgame press conference, he recalled telling Pierce "You're not ending your career in Utah" during the game.

Pierce—a 39-year-old who averaged 3.2 points per game in limited action this season—has surprisingly logged significant minutes in the series, and the No. 4-seeded Clippers are one home win away from booking a second-round showdown with the Golden State Warriors.

If they lose Sunday, at least Pierce can say farewell in Los Angeles.