paul pierce ejected

SM*SH - Celtics star Paul Pierce received his second technical foul in the fourth quarter of Game 1 against the Miami Heat and was ejected with seven minutes left.

At the 7:59 mark, Pierce pump-faked Miami's James Jones and drew a hard foul. Pierce reacted by approaching Jones and giving him a "face-rub," which led to the first technical foul.

One minute later with the Heat winning 87-74, Pierce tried setting a screen on Dwyane Wade, but the Heat star tried to run through it and was called for a foul. Pierce apparently said something to Wade and received his second technical foul, earning himself an ejection.

Referee Dan Crawford said after the game that Pierce directed a "verbal taunt" at Wade.

Let's start here: The play you see above — Paul Pierce(notes) setting a screen on Dwyane Wade(notes), then exchanging some heated words with him — is not enough to merit ejection from any basketball game, let alone Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. The double-technical called on both Pierce and Wade for their little tete-a-tete was the Boston Celtics captain's second T of the game, coming less than a minute after the first, which he earned for headrubbing/facenuzzling Miami Heat sharpshooter James Jones(notes) after a hard foul on a Pierce jumper. Ray Allen(notes) (25 points on 9-for-13 shooting) led the Celtics.