DALLAS -- Getting redemption the only place possible for the moment, Paul Pierce of the Celtics atoned for a bad showing his last time in the competition by winning the Foot Locker Three-Point Contest on Saturday at American Airlines Center.
It won't count as a response to a disappointing first half for the Celtics, who stand at No. 4 in the Eastern Conference amid injuries and losses in five of the 10 games before the All-Star break. But the moment clearly surpassed something more than an exhibition win for Pierce. He flashed a wide smile and bounded into the post-event press conference with loud boasts about erasing the memory of the last-place tie in the 2002 event in Philadelphia while making just eight shots in the opening round.
This time, Pierce nailed 14 the first try and, in the scoring system with a "money ball" worth double, 17 points. That was worth a tie for second with Chauncey Billups of the Nuggets, behind Stephen Curry of the Warriors. Danilo Gallinari of the Knicks, Channing Frye of the Suns and defending champion Daequan Cook of the Heat all had 15 points and were eliminated.
Pierce led off the final round and had 20 points, setting a strong pace. Billups went next and had 14. Curry took his turn and made four of five attempts off the first rack and three of five off the second while converting both money-ball opportunities. Curry was nearly half way to matching Pierce with 60 percent of his shots still to come.
But when he made only one from among the third set, straight-away from behind the 3-point arc, Curry fell off the necessary pace. Even with getting the money ball one more time and making three shots off the final baseline rack, he still finished with 17 points and in second place.
"I take pride in competition," Pierce said. "Like I said, back in '02, when I didn't do well in it and the way I've been practicing and shooting well this year, I was like, 'This is a great opportunity for me to come out here and redeem myself.'
"It was all set up. It was set up and I had a chance to do it again and that's all I needed. All I needed was another chance. I didn't get invited for seven years. Seven, eight years, I never got invited again and this was the opportunity where I got invited, and I took advantage of it this time."
Eight years ago in Philadelphia isn't the only historical footnote. The last time Dallas hosted All-Star weekend, in 1986 at now-demolished Reunion Arena, Larry Bird won the same competition as a Celtic.
"The stars were lined up, I guess," Pierce said.
So were the shots. And the shot at redemption.
.:Haikal #08:. @ 2:34 PM
