After the departure of Trevor Ariza, the Wizards signed veteran small forward Paul Pierce to a two-year contract. Pierce's veteran leadership proved to be a major factor on and off the court in the team's improvement. On November 12, 2014, the Wizards defeated the Detroit Pistons 107–103, extending their record to 6–2 for the first time since the 1975–76 season. The following game three days later, the Wizards defeated the Orlando Magic 98-93 as they won their third straight and moved to 7–2, their best start since opening 7–1 during the 1974–75 season. With a 104–96 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on December 12, the Wizards moved to an 11–2 record at home to start the season for the first time in franchise history. They would struggle throughout the later months of the season but the Washington Wizards would finish the season with a 46–36 record, their best record since the 1978–1979 season. They played the Toronto Raptors in the first round of the NBA Playoffs and won in four games, marking their first sweep in franchise history. Following the victory over Toronto, the Wizards next had to play the top seeded Atlanta Hawks. The Wizards managed to take the first game in the series, but suffered the loss of Wall due to a fractured wrist. Although small forward Paul Pierce made several big shots throughout the series, the loss of Wall proved too much, and Atlanta took the series in six games.