It was a situation Paul Pierce has been in countless times before.

The Boston Celtics were stuck in a double-digit deficit and turned to their captain for salvation. Like he has done in so many games over the last 10 years, Pierce put the team in his shoulders and led them to victory.

Only Monday night's comeback, 94-87 win over the Toronto Raptors was different. Pierce is now flanked by two All-Stars and championship-winning teammates. The job description of captain no longer includes dominator and he doesn't have to do it all on his own. But he proved there is no stopping him when he's locked in, and those who played alongside the former one-man-show enjoyed the performance.

“It's crazy,” said Kendrick Perkins. “It's exciting man just to be a part of that when he gets in his moments. No one can stop him when he gets into that type of zone, it's over with.”

Perkins, Tony Allen, Leon Powe, Rajon Rondo, and Brian Scalabrine are the only players left from the days of devastating injuries and 18-game losing streaks. These five teammates were witness to handfuls of forty and fifty-point nights from Pierce, many which ended in a loss. Even though he doesn't have to be “the man” every game, they are happy to watch when he is.

“We knew he was capable of going off at any moment and I saw it in his eyes,” Powe said. “He wanted the ball and he wanted to take over and be that guy and that's what he did, went out there and executed. But we basically just said, 'Paul, you go one-on-one and if you miss we'll try to get the rebound.'”

Pierce scored 22 fourth quarter points on his way to a 36-point, nine-rebound, and four-assist evening. In the final 12 minutes alone, his pair of three-pointers were critical in regaining the lead and his six-for-seven shooting from the free throw line iced the win.

“The difference is now he hasn't had to dominate and that's allowed him to get into his rhythm. Tonight when he was in the game you could tell he had a good flow to him and you knew that he couldn't be stopped at that point afterwards,” said Scalabrine. “He was much more dominating today even than in his past performances because he was making the right plays all the time and doing all the other things. It was a great effort.”

Even though Pierce can rely on Garnett, Ray Allen, and the rest of his teammates for support, this is not the first time he has come up big since the formation of the new Big Three. His unshakable focus was a key factor in the Celtics 17th championship run.

“He did it a little bit in the playoffs last year as well,” said Rondo. “But a lot of people don't expect that from him. I don't know what they expect. But we need a guy like that to step up in certain games like this and that's what he did tonight. He's our captain.”

Pierce and his former teammates don't want to go back to the days of devastating injuries and 18-game losing streaks. But every once in a while, a small glimpse into days past isn't necessarily a bad thing. Especially when it ends in a win.

“It's a great adventure to look at because he'll take you on a roller coaster once he gets it going,” said Tony Allen. “I enjoy it myself personally. He's Paul Pierce, the Truth, what more can I say?”

Jessica Camerato is a regular contributor to WEEI.com.