Brooklyn Nets forward Paul Pierce has revealed that his calmness helped him to score an important nine fourth-quarter points as his side beat the Toronto Raptors 94-87 on Saturday night.
The Nets secured the playoff win, thanks to a standout offensive and defensive combination that blocked out the Raptors in the fourth quarter of their encounter at the Air Canada Centre.
"You just get that feeling in the game and I've been in those situations a number of times," Pierce told reporters after the match.
"You know, I don't get rattled in fourth quarters or down the stretch in playoff settings.
"I've been in pretty much every playoff setting that you can imagine so I just try to stay calm and bring my calmness to the game and just try to compose the rest of the guys and I thought we did a great job today."
The Nets now hold a 1-0 lead in their Eastern Conference first-round series.