Paul Pierce sweats bullets struggling through 20-mile walk back to studio after losing Celtics bet

Paul Pierce is a Boston Celtics legend and has been a big supporter of the team since he retired from the NBA in 2017. Unfortunately for him, his former team let him down in Game 2 of their second-round series against the New York Knicks, losing 90-91. In addition to going down 0-2 in the series, the Celtics also forced Pierce to walk to work on Thursday.

Paul Pierce is a significant figure in Boston Celtics history, leading the team's last "Big Three" to a title in 2008 over their archrivals, the LA Lakers. Pierce out-dueled Kobe Bryant, securing another championship for one of the most storied teams in NBA history. Since walking away from the league, the Hall of Famer has built a new career as a sports media personality with Fox Sports.

In a video he posted to his Instagram page that has since gone viral, Paul Pierce is making good on a bet he made on Wednesday before Game 2. He told his co-hosts on Speak that he would walk to the office on Thursday morning if the Celtics lost a second straight home game to the New York in their series. He updated fans on his trek, complaining that his former team made him do it.

“This is crazy dog I can’t believe this. C’s got me out here like this. I’m sweating," said Pierce about losing his bet. "So I’m about 4 miles in right now. So I think I got another 16 miles?”

A 20-mile walk for a franchise legend is the least of Boston's concerns as they head on the road to Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4 against New York. Jalen Brunson and co. are riding momentum into their home games, looking to end the series without needing to return to Boston for a Game 5.

How did Paul Pierce's Celtics fall behind 0-2 in the series?

While the Knicks deserve their props, the Celtics are beating themselves just as much as New York is. Boston gave up 20-point leads in both games at home in two of the worst shooting nights of their entire season. Jayson Tatum and co. have been unable to find their range from deep so far in the series, and they are paying for it down the stretch.

Scoring droughts for Boston have given the Knicks life in both games, allowing them to be within range at the end of the game before handing things over to the NBA's Clutch Player of the Year in Brunson. Joe Mazzulla doubled down on his game plan after Game 1 and is on the hot seat ahead of Games 3 and 4.

If the defending champs can't solve their three-point troubles, they could find themselves on a much more shameful walk than Paul Pierce had to take on Thursday. The team had championship expectations after cruising to the 2024 title and keeping their roster intact. Now, they are at risk of being sent home by a team they have dominated in recent memory.