When Paul Pierce headed to the sideline with the Washington Wizards leading the Toronto Raptors by 23 points in the third quarter on Sunday night — ensuring that Game 4, and the series, was all but over — he was met with a standing ovation from the home crowd. Pierce waved, requesting more noise.
With the 37-year-old Pierce — who has an N.B.A. championship ring from his days in Boston — helping show his younger teammates how to win, Washington emphatically completed the first sweep of a seven-game series in club history. The Wizards eliminated the Raptors by winning, 125-94, on Sunday night to quickly close out their first-round Eastern Conference series.