Cavs' Atkinson: Putting undefeated record on line vs. Celtics great for NBA

Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson believes that "everybody is going to be watching" when his team puts up their historic 15-0 record against the reigning champion Boston Celtics on Tuesday.

"I know our guys are anxious, but I know they remember last year," said Atkinson, pointing to when the Celtics eliminated the Cavs in the previous playoffs in the Eastern Conference semifinal.

"We're going well, they're going well, Boston Garden, what's better than that? This is just great for the league, great for our franchise. We're excited about it."

The last time there was a matchup like this in the NBA was on Jan. 30, 1996, when the Chicago Bulls defeated the defending champion Houston Rockets to extend their win streak to 16 games.

"We've always wanted to test ourselves against the best," said Cavs big man Jarrett Allen. "We've always wanted to see where we stand with the best teams in the league, and the day after tomorrow that will be an excellent test for all of us."

Beyond posting a 16-0 start, Atkinson said he wants to use the next game to measure his team's potential.

"(Celtics) play a different style with their five out and five shooters, so it's going to be a real test for us," said Atkinson. "We're at that point right now, 15-0, let's test ourselves against the best and see where we stand and see where we got to make adjustments or not make adjustments. It actually comes at the perfect time to give us a good measurement of where we are."

Cleveland recorded its 15th straight victory by defeating the Charlotte Hornets 128-114 Sunday. The Celtics are coming off an overtime thriller Saturday against the Toronto Raptors in which Jayson Tatum hit a buzzer-beating three to win the game.