Healthy Celtics are eager for rematch with Cavaliers
When the NBA schedule was released last summer, the Celtics’ Nov. 3 game against the Cavaliers figured to offer a good litmus test to see where this new group stood against the defending champions.
But then forward Al Horford — probably the biggest free-agent prize outside of Kevin Durant last offseason — got a concussion. And then Jae Crowder — the player the Celtics typically deploy to defend LeBron James — sprained his ankle.
And so the Celtics arrived in Cleveland, and their starting lineup included Tyler Zeller at center and rookie Jaylen Brown at small forward, and the game went just about as would be expected. The Cavaliers blitzed to a 20-point lead before taking a 128-122 win that never really felt that close.
But Thursday night will bring the Celtics a new opportunity. This time they are whole, and they have been pretty good when they are whole.
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