MIAMI -- After arriving in Miami for the Celtics' season-opener against the Miami Heat, Kevin Garnett was asked if he planned on chatting with old friend Ray Allen, whose numbers Garnett previously suggested he had lost this summer. Garnett barked that he was just here to play the game.

He wasn't kidding.

Allen entered Tuesday's game with 2:45 remaining in the first quarter and wandered over to the Celtics' bench to hug former coach Doc Rivers and shake hands with his staff. Allen then reached out to slap Garnett on the back, but it hardly drew any reaction.

"You know what, man, I was just trying to stay as neutral as I could but obviously I'm an intense person," Garnett told reporters after the game, according to the Boston Globe. "Other than it was blank. I just saw the Heat uniforms and, obviously he's on the other side, and I just tried to play the game."

Was Allen taken aback by the chilly moment?

"Did you expect him to react?" Allen asked reporters, explaining it was his "peace offering." Allen did say the two shared a brief on-court moment later in the first quarter.

Drama aside, Allen dropped 19 points on his former team, connecting on 5-of-7 shots overall in 30 minutes off the bench as part of Miami's 120-107 triumph at AmericanAirlines Arena. That included a corner 3-pointer just moments after he stepped on the floor.

As Celtics coach Doc Rivers sighed: "You would think we would know better."

Most in the Celtics' locker room were in no mood to get nostalgic after seeing Allen in his new No. 34 jersey and acknowledged a desire to beat his Miami team.

"Ray was a great player here, great guy in the locker room," said Brandon Bass. "We wanted to beat him, but it didn't happen. We'll get another opportunity."