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Celtics open title defense at home vs. Cavaliers

Oct 28, 2008 - 1:26 PM CLEVELAND AT BOSTON, 8:00pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The reigning champions and one of the top contenders to steal their crown face off in the marquee matchup of the NBA's Opening Night on Tuesday.

The Boston Celtics will unveil their 17th championship banner and receive their rings as they host LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the league's season opener. As they get set to defend their title, they face a club they may be seeing a lot of come playoff time.

The teams squared off in last year's Eastern Conference semifinals, as Boston squeaked by with a five-point victory in Game Seven. With the series win, the Celtics dethroned the Cavs, the 2006-07 conference champs who fell to the San Antonio Spurs in their first-ever Finals appearance.

This year, James and his re-tooled supporting cast look to dethrone the Celtics and compete for another championship. For the four-time All-Star and newly minted gold medalist, the 2008-09 season is expected to be a telling one. Now entering his sixth year, James has what may finally be a reliable second option in new point guard Mo Williams, acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks in an August trade.

Even with a lackluster supporting cast around him, James has carried the Cavaliers to five playoff series victories and one Finals appearance, but as NBA legacies go, that won't cut it for much longer. He's two years away from potentially hitting the open market in what could be the most heated bidding war in league history.

In short, a lot is riding on these next two seasons.

Of course, there would be no better way to set the tone to the new season than to defeat the Celtics on their home floor on their night of celebration. Then again, that "home floor" thing seems to always get in the way. In head-to-head matchups last season, the two clubs were almost dead even; the only variable was home-court advantage, and the home team won every time.

The Celtics return most of the same faces that won it all last season, the most notable absence being playoff hero James Posey, who signed a lucrative four-year deal with the New Orleans Hornets this summer.

Boston opens the season in good health. The only minor concern is third-year point guard Rajon Rondo, who missed the team's last two preseason games with a sprained left ankle. He is expected to start on Tuesday.