DEERFIELD, Ill. – Ben Wallace saw this coming as soon as the ink dried on his $60 million contract.

He helped Detroit win a championship three years ago. Now he’ll be trying to get the Chicago Bulls closer to their first title since the Michael Jordan era when they face the Pistons in the second round of the playoffs.

If he was feeling a little giddy about facing the Pistons, if there were any good-natured jabs with his former teammates the past few days, he wasn’t saying.

Big Ben brushed off the notion that this was more than an ordinary second-round matchup for him, saying, “Nah, you’re wrong.”

The Bulls swept defending champion Miami in the first round, and now they’re trying to win another series.

That’s all that matters to Wallace.

“We’re trying to do something great here,” he said Tuesday. “In order for us to get to where we’re going, we have to get through Detroit. They’re on the top right now. For me, it would just be another second-round win.”

What they did against Miami was impressive.

Luol Deng and Ben Gordon followed up standout performances in the regular season by averaging 26.3 and 25.5 points, respectively, against the Heat. And Wallace harassed Shaquille O’Neal, who never was his old, dominant self.

Now, Wallace meets his former team.

“Ben’s a good story line for you guys to write about it,” Pistons coach Flip Saunders said. “He’s been here and been the face of the franchise, and he’s returning for someone else.”

Fans greeted Wallace with a mix of boos and cheers before his lone appearance at The Palace of Auburn Hills during the regular season, then booed him just about every time he touched the ball. The Pistons won that game by two points, but the Bulls took the other three. Wallace fared well against his ex-teammates, averaging 13.7 rebounds and three blocks in three games.

A four-time defensive player of the year, he emerged as an icon during his six seasons with Detroit – a run that included a championship in 2004 and four All-Star selections. But he clashed with Saunders last season, refusing to enter a game in the fourth quarter.

There were also reports Wallace wanted to be more involved on offense, but he has called that a misunderstanding, saying he was looking to set up his teammates – not for more shots.

Although the Bulls lacked a low-post scorer last season, it was no surprise they went after Wallace. He was the marquee free agent, and Chicago had salary-cap room. So general manager John Paxson and coach Scott Skiles recruited him.