By Jessica Camerato
CSNNE.com
BOSTON -- When Doc Rivers arrived to coach his first preseason game at TD Garden on Sunday, old feelings accompanied him there.
Theyre the kind that dont go away just because last season ended four months ago. Thats because instead of returning to the Garden as defending NBA champions, the Celtics are looking to avenge last seasons Game 7 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Its painful every day, honestly, Rivers said before the Celtics took on the Toronto Raptors. I dont think thatll go away.
Rivers has found it nearly impossible to avoid mention of the Lakers victory.
They show the video all the time, you can get a Sports Illustrated subscription, he pointed out. It drives me nuts, it honestly does. So many times I walk away from the TV, even Sports Illustrated at times. But I dont think thatll ever go away. Dont think it should.
Even though the wound is still open, Rivers believes it is important for his team to be reminded of the heartbreaking loss.
Boston Celtics
We showed our team a little clip of it, of the celebration at least, on opening day at training camp and I was amazed at how raw that still was with the players, he said. I underestimated that, and so that was, in a way, good. Thatll stick with you forever.
Rivers thinks about last seasons Game 7 loss more often than their Game 6 triumph in 2008. He says he knows he should focus on the positive -- Larry Brown talked to him about that this summer -- but believes he and his players arent built that way.
You do think about Game 7, over and over again, he said. Im sure thatll last for a long time.
Jessica Camerato is on Twitter at http:twitter.comjcamerato