The Miami Heat became the last team to lose a game among those remaining in the playoffs on Saturday, when the Brooklyn Nets took Game 3.
And now that it's leading the best-of-seven series only 2-1, the Nets' Paul Pierce has decided to do that thing where he chirps up and says a bunch of things in order to get into the Heat players' heads.
Note to The Truth: It's not working.
To score some kind of mental edge over Miami, Pierce revealed to the media after Game 3 that he asked coach Jason Kidd to let him guard LeBron James.
His reason is twofold: Pierce feels he knows LeBron's tendencies better than anyone else on the Nets, and he also wants to make it clear he's not afraid of the Heat.
"You know you've got to have that type of mental [approach] when you're going against a juggernaut," Pierce told the media, per ESPN. "When you go against the best... a lot of series are won on fear factor, or the nonbelief. When you have that nonbelief, then you have no chance. What I try to do in this locker room and with my teammates is just try to give them belief -- that we can beat this team. They're not unbeatable. You've got to have that mental [approach] if you're trying to get over that mountain that you're trying to climb."
When James was approached at Miami's shoot-around with Pierce's comments, he proceeded to lay down the thunder concerning Pierce's strutting and swagger about fear and belief and whatnot.
"Words don't win the game; you've got to go out and play," James said.
"Why should there be a fear factor? It's just basketball. We're not trying to win a war here; it's just basketball. We're all grown men. Who cares about who is fearing who? We've never been a team that talks; we don't get into that. We've never been a bulletin board team. We just want to play the right way and give ourselves a chance to win."
It's basically the equivalent to that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark when that one dude comes up to Indiana Jones and starts waiving his giant sword around, showing him how big the sword is and how good he is at handling it, and then Indiana Jones takes out his gun and shoots him dead.
LeBron was pressed further about the Nets being able to mostly keep him from the rim and force him into jumpers.
Asked if he was concerned or had worrisome feelings about the Heat, LeBron threw down what is quite possibly the most badass thing you want LeBron saying if he plays for your team.
"I feel real good about our team," he said. "Why wouldn't I? I'm on the team."
Awwwww yeahhh.
Game 4 is tonight in Brooklyn. Tip-off is at 8.
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