By the time it all ended on that festive, emotionally drenching June night a few months back, the cigars being lit, the green-and-white confetti flying in every direction, it had been long forgotten that a foul by Tony Allen had doomed the Celtics in their first big showdown of last season.
The newly rebuilt Celtics, with their new Big Three and, with it, their new set of hopes and expectations, were hosting the Detroit Pistons. The game was tied late in the fourth quarter when Chauncey Billups did something coach Doc Rivers warned his players he might very well do: He pump-faked. Tony Allen bit. Tony Allen was called for a foul. Billups made the two shots, the Celtics lost, and Allen had some splainin' to do.
But again: The Celtics would later take down the Pistons in the Eastern Conference finals, and then topple the Lakers in the Finals, and it was no longer relevant to talk about the foul Allen committed against Billups on that cold December evening.
Yet given what Tony Allen has done to wreck the Pistons during the past week - not once, but twice - it's kind of amusing to play connect the dots with this year and last. It's perfect: The talented Mr. Billups isn't even a Piston any more, and Allen is now making it difficult for the Motowners to make a smooth transition into the Allen Iverson era. A week ago in Auburn Hills, Mich., Rivers sent Allen in off the bench, and he scored 23 points in 28 minutes to lead an 88-76 victory. Last night at the Garden, Allen came off the bench to score 13 points in 27 minutes in the Celtics' 98-80 trampling of the Pistons. More importantly, he scored five points and had two steals in the second quarter, when the Celtics outpointed the Pistons 28-19 to put the game away.
``Yeah, Tony, just the entire bench, but Tony was huge,'' Rivers said, making it nice and simple.
``Doc told us before the game,'' said Allen, ``that our bench had to be better than their bench. We took that as a challenge. We were fortunate enough to play hard and execute on plays and get some stops.''
And the steals?
``Basically I saw guys driving with their heads down, and I just took a reach in there,'' he said. ``They could easily have gone the other way.''
Funny how things change. In the here and now, the Pistons represent a couple of dueling high points in Tony Allen's season, two games in which Allen's spark set the tone for the evening.
And a year ago, the Pistons represented the low point.
``I think I only played four seconds that game,'' Allen said. ``But Chauncey did his thing, and I learned from that play. It was a good thing I was put in in that situation, because when that situation happens again, I understand and I'm ready for it.''
Allen actually played more than four seconds in last year's game, but not much more. He logged four minutes and 34 seconds, almost all of it in the first half.
``Things happen for a reason,'' said Allen. ``I'm still here. As far as Chauncey moving on, I guess that's what it is.''
These new Pistons, Allen warns, have promise.
``That team is going to get better,'' he said. ``Don't get that twisted.''
We won't. But if that's the case then what does it say about Allen?
He's getting better himself.
And don't try any of that pump-fake stuff with him.
- sbuckley@bostonherald.com
