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Paul Pierce · Paul Pierce operated with an unshakeable certainty that the big shot was his to take, and against the Indiana Pacers in the 2003 playoffs, he made sure Al Harrington understood that too. Pierce called for the rock on the wing, got his feet positioned, rose over Harrington for a stepback three that never looked like anything other than in from the moment it left his hand, then pivoted toward Indiana's bench and let everyone in the building know exactly how he felt about it. The trash talk was as much Pierce as the shot itself, a combination of technical excellence and personality that made him one of the most difficult covers in the Eastern Conference throughout his prime. He was Boston's entire offensive universe during this stretch of his career, a creator who trusted himself most when the stakes were highest. · State of Mint