Paul Pierce shows up at Celtics practice, and he intends to be a presence around the team this year

An impromptu 3-point contest sprouted after Celtics practice Thursday afternoon, but it did not involve any current players. For a moment, with the barking and laughing and shot-making, it seemed as if the clock had been turned back 15 years.

Paul Pierce was at the center of it all, a spot he is certainly accustomed to embracing. Matched up against fellow 2008 title-team members Sam Cassell and Eddie House, among others, Pierce calmly drilled five consecutive 3-pointers from the left corner.

The surge caught the attention of Jayson Tatum, who has become the face of this Celtics era much like Pierce was for the one that preceded it.