Plaudits for Pierce as Celtics reach summit

NO member of the Boston Celtics enjoyed their 17th championship more than Paul Pierce.

Pierce scored 17 points as Boston beat the Los Angeles Lakers 131-92 on Tuesday night to clinch the title, and his 21.8 points average in the six-game series made him a unanimous choice for the MVP award.

A Celtic all his career, the 11-year veteran had lived through the misery of Boston’s down years, toiling away for the NBA’s most successful ever franchise during a time when success never came.