Most of the attention this year was on Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen got his share. But there was always a sense that Paul Pierce, lifetime Celtic and underrated fierce competitor, was just biding his time, waiting for one of his patented take-over-the-game fourth quarters, waiting for the time machine to 2002.

Fourth quarter? Try the whole game. LeBron James, left high and dry by his woeful teammates, played about as well as one man can play in an NBA game. And there was Pierce, matching him almost bucket for bucket. LeBron hit a three, Pierce came down and popped one over his head. LeBron came down and (suspiciously) got to the free-throw line, Pierce drove the lane and scored. We're not the first or the hundredth to compare it to the epic Bird/Nique showdown of 1988. But that's what it looked like.

The difference in the game was that Pierce had some friends who could help him out. Garnett got 13 rebounds, PJ Brown and Eddie House came up huge off the bench (anyone who put $1 on "PJ Brown will make a clutch shot with 1:20 to go in Game 7" is on their way to retirement in Bimini right now), and Rajon Rondo notched a quiet 8/8/8er. Except for flashes by Delonte West and one shot by Sasha Pavlovic, LeBron was out there all alone. We're pretty sure Wally was already back in Cleveland by the end of the game. Final score: Pierce and Friends 97, LeBron 92.

Every legendary game needs a couple of legendary moments, and Pierce supplied those as well. With a critical jump ball between James Posey and Zydrunas Ilgaukas bouncing awry, Pierce lunged on it like he was leaping on a grenade to save his team, calling timeout and pumping his fists in triumph on the floor. Then there was the free throw - ah, the free throw. Up by three, seven seconds to go, one free throw ices it. Pierce's shot rolled around the rim for about eight minutes before it hopped up in the air and fell smoothly down the center of the net. Pierce's frown instantly turned upside-down. "I think [the ghost of Red Auerbach] kind of tapped it in the right direction," said Paul, and it's not like we're gonna argue.

So it's back to law school for LeBron, and on to the Detroit series we all expected since about Thanksgiving for the Celtics. Detroit now says they would have preferred the Cavs. We say if Rajon Rondo steps up and makes the gimpy Chauncey Billups chase him all over, and if Ray Allen is dug up in time, and if Garnett takes even a slight edge over Rasheed Wallace, we're looking good. This should be fun.

The Sox did their job, sweeping the Brewers (and to the crestfallen Milwaukee-jersey bedecked couple we saw on the train home last night, sorry, hope you at least got to have some fun while you were in town) 11-7, even on a so-so day by Beckett. Ortiz has made everyone forget his .004 April, hitting two more home runs to get him tied for second in the AL. Pedroia and Youkilis went deep as well, so Sox fans went home happy, even if they didn't see Eric Gagne all weekend. Probably a smart move by Milwaukee to keep him in mothballs for the weekend. KC is in town next; Lester starts tonight against someone named Luke Hochevar.

Picture of Paul Pierce at the 2005 Celtics Picnic by your humble correspondent.