Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce's Greatest Career Playoff Moments (Video)

One-hundred and fourteen playoff starts, 21.4 points per game, nine playoff runs in 14 seasons, two NBA Finals appearances and an NBA championship are listed on Boston Celtics' captain Paul Pierce's resume.

If there's one thing Paul Pierce was made to do in this league it's win games in crunch time. Time and time again, Pierce has been able to put up top-notch performances when the team needs it most.

Whether it was with Antoine Walker in the late 90s until 2002 or the Big Three era, Pierce has always seemed to get the best of his opponents.

Although there are a plethora of jaw-dropping Paul Pierce playoff moments, these are the five more memorable postseason performances from "The Truth."

No. 5: The Ball Drops In, Red Looks On, 2008

In the words of Paul Pierce in ESPN's post-game recap:

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"The ghost of Red just looking over us," Pierce said. "I think he kind of tapped it in the right direction. It sort of put a smile on my face."

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Pierce would refer to the first of two free throws that would top the LeBron James-led Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals. That free-throw hung in the air for an eternity. It was a defining moment for this team and one that would help lead the team to a 2008 NBA championship.

LeBron James vs. Paul Pierce in 2008

In that same game where Pierce's last-second free throws iced Game 7 for the Cs, there was also a top-notch battle going down between Pierce and arguably the game's most talented player—LeBron James.

The two would combine for a whopping 86 points, with Pierce scoring 41 points grabbing four rebounds and dishing five assists. James would outscore Pierce, boasting 45 in the loss.

The matchup between the two was what most considered reminiscent of the Dominique Wilkins and Larry Bird matchup of the late 1980s, making this moment all the more memorable.

The Game 4 Comeback Against the Lakers

The Game 4 comeback against the L.A. Lakers in the 2008 NBA Finals was miraculous to say the least.

The Celtics would go down as many as 24 points in the third quarter, and showed every sign of losing this game and potentially going down for the rest of the series.

An improbable run would get the Celtics right back into things with several minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, as Pierce was the key to this comeback for the ages.

The Epic, 21-Point Comeback Against the New Jersey Nets, 2002

In the 2002 Eastern Conference Finals against Jason Kidd and the New Jersey Nets, the Celtics put forth an improbable run in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in stunning fashion to come out with the win.

How improbable was this comeback? At the time it was the greatest fourth-quarter playoff comeback in NBA history.

With the help of Antoine Walker and of course, his memorable "shimmy," Pierce and the Celtics would make it into the record books.

Winning the 2008 NBA Finals MVP Award

After countless seasons of coming up short, going through the good and the many bad seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce was finally able to hoist his own banner from the ceiling of the Garden.

Undoubtedly, the greatest playoff moment of Paul Pierce's playoff career, winning a 2008 NBA Finals MVP award to top off the season was the icing on the cake. It was a moment that fans of the game knew was one that gave Pierce utmost satisfaction.

Pierce would go on to help the Celtics reach the NBA Finals yet again, as the Lakers got their revenge on the Celtics in seven games in 2010.