Cavaliers: Players excited to put perfect record to the test against defending champion Celtics

For the first time in almost a decade, the Cavaliers are atop the NBA. They've gotten off to a stellar 15-0 start, which is tied for second best in league history. The players like the position they are in. "We do like being the hunted," Cavs point guard Darius Garland said. "We've been the hunters our whole lives. Everyone will put their best foot forward against us and try to give us our first 'L.' This is what good teams are made of. Our confidence level is super high." Not only do they want to extend their unbeaten record, but the second game in the Emirates NBA Cup will be at 7:30 tonight against the defending champion Boston Celtics at TD Garden. An added twist to the contest is that the Celtics (11-3) eliminated the Cavs in last season's Eastern Conference semifinals. Cleveland didn't have center Jarrett Allen (broken rib) for the entire playoff series, while leading scorer Donovan Mitchell (calf) was sidelined for the final two games. If they have been whole, the Cavs believe the series could have been different. Instead, the Celtics ran roughshod over Cleveland in five games and went on to win their 18th championship. "They are the defending champs and the team that knocked us out last year," Allen said. "We always want to test ourselves against the best. We want to see where we stand against the best teams in the league. That will be an excellent test for all of us. I'm looking forward to it." Forward/center Evan Mobley excelled at center with Allen on the sidelines in that series. He has much respect for Boston. "They are a great team," he said. "It's going to be a test for us. It's still early in the season. We'll learn from it and give them our best shot. It's going to be a great game with high competition overall. "It's going to be exciting. At the same time, it's early and you can't put too much into one game. I feel like everyone is going to be locked in." No one expected Cleveland to get off to its best start in franchise history. Obviously, the team has talent throughout its deep roster, but new coach Kenny Atkinson should get much credit for the way they've played. "Kenny has done a great job of coming in here and implementing his role on how we're going to attack different teams," Mobley said. "Us coming back with the same team we had last year was a plus, as well. Everyone knows how everyone else plays and chemistry is on a different level than it was last year. That blend of the coach and us has gotten us to where we are now." Atkinson is looking forward to the Cavs' second NBA Cup contest. They defeated Chicago 144-126 Friday. "It's great for the NBA," he said. "Everybody is going to be watching. I know our guys are anxious. They remember last year. We're going well. They're going well. (We're playing in) Boston Garden. What's better than that? "It's great for our league. It's great for our franchise." Two crucial members of Atkinson's rotation went down with ankle injuries in the Charlotte game Sunday, forward Dean Wade and swingman Isaac Okoro. Both are pivotal to Cleveland's defense and can guard Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, third in the NBA in scoring at 29.7 points per game. "It's going to be a real test for us," Atkinson said. "They play a different style with their five-out, with five shooters. "We're at the point right now, 15-0, let's test ourselves against the best and see where we stand. It actually comes at the perfect time to give ourselves a good measurement to where we are." Guard Ty Jerome made his first start of the season against Charlotte and matched his career high with 24 points and dished out eight assists. "It's going to be a high-level game," he said. "Those are the games you look forward to as a player. "Obviously, it's a big game. It's probably a national TV game. They are going to hype all the story lines. At the end of the day, our goal wasn't to be 15-0. We want to get better every game and get ready for the spring (playoffs). We do want to get back to where we want to be on defense. Boston will be a great challenge to go do that." Bob Finnan can be reached at rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.