Forget the NBA Finals of last June. Thursday night’s regular season game between the Celtics and Lakers at TD Banknorth Garden went a long way to restoring one of the sport’s great all-time rivalries.

And just listening to Doc Rivers’ verbal tirade to the referees in the hallway proves how much this one hurt for the Green.

Rivers COULD NOT believe a hand check was not called on the Lakers as they tried to throw Ray Allen’s timing off at the end of overtime with Allen having the ball and a chance to win the game just like he did 48 hours earlier in Philadelphia.

“That was a hand check!” Rivers exclaimed in the hallway as the Celtics filed to their locker room, past the officials’ room on the right.

Then there was the sparring between Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo, as Bryant, who was held to 26 points on 10-of-29 shooting, waved his finger in Rondo’s face in the third quarter. That was followed minutes later by Lamar Odom and Kevin Garnett going toe-to-toe before calmer heads prevailed. And lest we forget the rivalry between the two coaches.

Phil Jackson was peeved when Doc Rivers was given a sports-drink shower on the court in the closing minutes of Game 6 of The Finals last June. Jackson said after the game that he didn’t think Garnett looked like he was ready to return from the flu. Oh really Phil?

This game meant a lot to both teams.

It meant the end of Boston’s 12-game winning streak, meaning the Lakers have ended their 19-game AND 12-game runs this season. It meant that Los Angeles has swept the season series and holds the tie-breaker should the two teams end up deadlocked at the end of the season.

For the Lakers, it meant beating  a team that seven months earlier humiliated them on the same court by 39 points in the most embarrassing loss in franchise history. They remembered the Gatorade shower that Rivers received from Pierce and Co. as Boston claimed its 17th title.

And it showed that these Lakers, even without big man Andrew Bynum, COULD play defense when it mattered and they won’t be pushed around anymore.

Here’s how both teams articulated it.

Paul Pierce said it was just one game and hopefully they’ll meet again.

Eddie House thought the Lakers celebrated like they just won the title. Yo LA, this was game 51, regular season, that is.

House thought the Lakers were allowed to be more physical than the Celtics.

Ray Allen was more disappointed that Kevin Garnett was called for a cheap foul that gave him five late, just before fouling out in the fourth.

Doc Rivers felt that was a hand check on Allen at the end.

Rivers was worried early in the second half about how the game was getting away from the officials.

Rivers thought it was a chippy game.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson thought it was a great game for the NBA.

Jackson didn’t think Garnett was ready to play after missing the last two games with the flu.

Kobe Bryant thought it WAS a statement game for his Lakers.

Pau Gasol wished the Lakers had played like this last year in The Finals.