Well, hello again, LeBron.
Before this NBA season started, the Cavs and the Celtics were near-unanimous favorites to meet in the Eastern Conference Finals. They'll both be there when the best-of-seven series starts at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at TD Garden, but the teams are far different than the projected lineups when the season began.
Nonetheless, the fun is just about to get started.
"Three days is plenty of time to prepare," said Brad Stevens. "It’s not like they haven’t watched Cleveland before — we played them last year in the Eastern Conference Finals.
"LeBron’s on just a ridiculous run of play and we know it will be quite a challenge."
No need to rehash all that's gone on since the start of the season to now — from injuries to Gordon Hayward and Kyrie Irving to the Cavs' two midseason mega trades — it's all been well-documented.
What you need to know right now: LeBron James is a dangerous one-man band as ever.
The Cavs were on the brink of elimination in the first round against the Pacers as they headed to a Game 7. The 14-time All-Star merely put the team on his back with 45 points, eight rebounds and seven assists in the deciding game.
James didn't stop there, he just kept going in the second round against the top-seeded Raptors. Four games, four wins as James averaged 34.0 points, 11.3 assists and 8.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55.3 percent from the field.
The coup de grace: James' game-winner in Game 3.
Every angle... of LeBron's Game 3 Tissot Buzzer Beater! #ThisIsYourTime #NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/z4hb8IMs8V
— NBA (@NBA) May 6, 2018
@KingJames Follow back it's Larry Hughes nephew from st. Louis and Abe and Rj Lil cousin and Justin Son Follow Back pic.twitter.com/AnOnb7E8
— Jayson Tatum (@jaytatum0) April 13, 2012
LeBron James (24 points, 8 rebounds, 10 assists) was at his best for most of the game while surrounded by four new teammates (Rodney Hood, Larry Nance Jr., Jordan Clarkson, George Hill), and he even got the fourth quarter off as the Cavs outscored Boston by 24 points over the final three frames. Cleveland was red-hot from 3-point range (16-of-30) as its’ perimeter shooters got countless open looks set up by James all game. The Cavs torched the Celtics’ defense for 90 points over the final three quarters.