Yes, there was some fanfare during the build-up to the game. Ime Udoka answered multiple questions on how his tenure with the Boston Celtics ended and what he thought of his first game back in the TD Garden.
Personally, I wasn’t a fan. I would have preferred the focus to be on the Celtics bouncing back from a scheduled loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. However, from the opening tip, the Celtics were about their business. There was no taking it lightly on their former head coach. No room for sentiment. It was a straight clinic.