Their attitude isn't cavalier

Burned by OT road loss, Celtics out for revenge

Ray Allen and his mates weren't happy about losing in OT at Cleveland Tuesday, and they plan to make amends today. (TONY DEJAK/Associated Press)

The Celtics have had the bull's-eye on their chest ever since acquiring Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in the offseason to join Paul Pierce. But today, they are the hunters against the Cavaliers at TD Banknorth Garden.

"It's already circled in red," said Garnett. "It should be fun."

The Celtics are hoping to avenge their 109-104 overtime loss against the Cavaliers last Tuesday. Boston was unable to hit crucial free throws in the closing minutes - including two misses by one of the league's top free-throw shooters, Allen.

Cavaliers star LeBron James scored 38 points - the most by a Celtics foe this season - including 11 in OT.

"When we look at our losses, man, we see it as a Monday morning quarterback, so to speak," said Garnett. "Our energy wasn't nowhere near what it should be for games. Obviously, we want to have better starts.

"I anticipate Sunday having a much more energetic start. Looking back on it, we made a lot of mistakes that we know we are better than."

Said coach Doc Rivers, "They kicked our butt. I don't give a crap if we had chances, they won the game. So we are going to have to come play."

The Celtics have an NBA-best 13-2 record and have more than lived up to their hype thus far. The Cavaliers are just over .500 at 9-8 and have lost two straight games. But given that they have perhaps the NBA's best player in James on their roster and are the reigning Eastern Conference champs, each game against Boston will be widely anticipated and should have a playoff feel to it.

Still, Cleveland coach Mike Brown sees today as just another game.

"It's our next regular-season game," said Brown. "It's good that people can look at certain games as a statement and revenge game. But I know, for me and our team, we've been in big games, big ones in the postseason. But it's just our next regular-season game and opponent."

James, who missed Friday's game against Toronto with a sprained finger, is averaging an NBA-best 30.7 points as well as 8.1 assists and 7.6 rebounds. The 6-foot-8-inch, 250-pounder is also averaging 30.4 points in 13 career games against Boston.

"He's an extremely gifted talent," Pierce said. "What he's doing this year, the way he's doing pretty much everything from rebounding to scoring to assists . . . But in my mind, the best player is always the best player on the best team. As far as the most talented and gifted, he's right up there."

Said Allen, "We're trying to avenge the loss that we had a couple days ago. We'll do what we need to do to keep him from having big nights against us."

James sprained his left index finger Thursday at Detroit, and it was the coaching staff and medical staff - not James - that decided to sit him against Toronto.

Yesterday, James participated in parts of practice in Boston and was deemed a game-time decision.

With a win today, the Celtics will improve to 9-0 at home and tie the sixth-best home start in franchise history . . . The Celtics spent the night in Miami following a 95-85 win over the Heat Friday and flew back to Boston yesterday . . . The Cavaliers were in Boston yesterday after coming in from Toronto . . . Celtics guard Tony Allen has missed two games with a bruised right thigh, but he expressed hope of returning to action today.