The Rematch

Celtics, Cavs set to duel Friday in Cleveland

Even Rick Pitino can figure out how important Friday's game is for the Celtics.

Losers in six of their last eight games, including three in a row, the C’s are in the midst of their worst stretch in two years, an abrupt fall from grace that is spinning out of control faster with each loss.

Now, for just the second time in the last 146 games, including the playoffs, the Celtics (29-8) will enter a game against an opponent that has a better record than them when they visit the Cavaliers (28-6) at Quicken Loans Arena.

“You’ve got a sense of urgency,” Leon Powe said of the Celtics, who will hold a practice at shootaround in Cleveland Friday morning after having Thursday off. “You’ve got to go out there and play hard. It’s going to be just like a Game 7. They’re going to come at us and try to hit us in the mouth first, but we’ve got to take it and respond back. We haven’t been doing that as of late.”

As difficult of a task as this is sure to be — the Cavs are the 12th team in league history to begin a season 18-0 at home — it could also cure the Celtics’ intensity issues that have plagued them for two weeks.

While they might not have gotten up for a few of their recent losses, the Celtics don’t have to think all that far back to conclude how much emotion they’ll need when they head to Cleveland. The Cavs won all three of their home games against the C’s during last season’s Eastern Conference semifinals before falling in a tremendously entertaining Game 7 at the Garden.

“Obviously, this is a team we put out of the playoffs,” Paul Pierce said. “I think they’ve been looking forward to this. We’re going to get their best punch.

“We know that somewhere down the road we’re going to see them in the playoffs, and we’ve got to be ready for their best shot. The way they’ve been playing at home has been unbelievable. But hey, with the way we’re playing, this will be a great way to get back on track.”