BOSTON -- When the Boston Celtics opened the doors to their practice facility at the end of Tuesday's off-day workout, the largest throng of TV cameras they'd seen this season rushed to set up shop on the floor. There was an obvious buzz ahead of Boston's impending showdown with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Wednesday's game was a chance for Boston to finally assert itself as a legitimate challenger to the Cavs' throne.
While most Boston players downplayed the matchup, veteran Avery Bradley, the only Celtics player remaining from the last time Boston won a playoff series, noted, "We're playing against a team that's obviously going to be a contender.