Chris Paul To Paul Pierce, Mid-Game: "You're Not Ending Your Career in Utah"

Clippers' Chris Paul's message to Paul Pierce during Game 6: "You're not ending your career in Utah." pic.twitter.com/xse5Yv7Ha2
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) April 29, 2017

I'm not sure if you've ever spent time in Utah, dear reader, but it's a very pleasant state. The landscape is vividly painted in greens, reds, and whites, and breathing its air is like drinking rich-people bottled water. It's an ideal place for any kind of occasion. But last night, before sneaking away with a huge road-victory in Salt Lake City against the Jazz, Chris Paul promised Paul Pierce that he'd rather drag him back to smoggy, traffic-clogged, fake-ass Los Angeles to end Pierce's career. I suppose, though—if you disregard geography—it's actually a pretty nice sentiment.

The Clippers went into last night's game staring down the very real possibility of seeing their playoff hopes dashed in Game 6 against the Jazz. In fact, their historical record of digging themselves out of a 3-2 hole was 1-in-8. Nevertheless, the Clippers pulled out an evening of 49 percent shooting with a healthy 43 percent on three pointers and sealed the game, 98-93. Chris Paul led the Clippers with 29 points.

Chris Paul knew what this moment meant for his team, but also for his teammate and soon-to-retire legend Paul Pierce:

"I looked over at Truth during one of them timeouts," Paul said in the post-game press conference. "I said, 'you're not ending your career in Utah,'" later adding, "We want to keep this thing going for him."

While it's kind of weird to think of Paul Pierce coming 'home' to Los Angeles—particularly given how emotional he was on his last visit to The Garden, where he played for the Celtics for 15 years—it's nice to think of Chris Paul looking out for Pierce's legacy. In fact, it's a feel-good enough sentiment that it makes you want to do this:

We've got our first Game 7 pic.twitter.com/OzUF4NPpE0
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) April 29, 2017

Or not, because that's embarrassing. Now we're on to Game 7, which will ensure that they'll either end Pierce's career in LA or in Pierce's birthplace of Oakland, California. Because let's face it: they're not getting past the Warriors.