Paul Pierce Dusts off his Drums

Back when Eagles band member Don Henley had a solo career, he'd start the concert in the front of the stage, guitar in hand. This made some sense, as people came to see Don Henley, and not just hear him play. By nature, however, Henley was neither a frontman nor a guitarist.

He was a drummer who had a reputation for marching to his own beat.

When it came time to play Hotel California, Life in the Fast Lane, or Victim of Love, Henley would announce that "it's time to dust off the drums and go back to my old job."

And so it was for Paul Pierce last night when his Boston Celtics played without the injured Ray Allen.

Pierce scored 32 points, including 5-11 from international waters, and was a Shuttleworthesque 9-9 from the line. The Truth also keyed a 20-4 third-quarter run during which he hit three of his five treys. By the start of the fourth quarter, the game was over.

“I wanted to be more aggressive than I have been, especially with Ray Allen on the shelf, just to pick up more slack,” Pierce said.

We haven't seen the old Paul Pierce very often this season, as The Truth has subordinated his ego for the benefit of the team.

In the NBA, however, circumstances occasionally dictate that the best player take over and dominate the game. Whether those circumstances are injuries, foul trouble, or just off-nights by teammates, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, MJ, Kobe, and LeBron have demonstrated the value of great individual performances during crunch time.

It's good to see that Paul Pierce still knows how to dust off the drums, too.