The rebuilt Cleveland Cavaliers got off to a terrific start as they crushed the Boston Celtics on the road to send out a strong statement in the Eastern Conference on Sunday.

Newcomers George Hill, Jordan Clarkson, Rodney Hood and Larry Nance Jr. all played their part in a dominant 121-99 victory over the C's at TD Garden.

Hill, Clarkson, and Hood all contributed with double figures and the Cavs played with a tempo and energy that was lacking throughout the season with their previous roster.

LeBron James noticed a key difference in their performance in the first game with the newcomers.

"The attention to detail was at an all-time high for this season," he said after the game, per USA Today.

The 121 points they put up was the most given up by the Celtics this year and it was a message from the Cavaliers that they still plan to have a huge say on matters in the east.

In the eyes of some experts and former players, they should be considered the favourites to win the conference again thanks to the acquisitions they made at the trade deadline.

The foursome only had one practice session with their new teammates before the huge showdown with Boston but James said it felt like they'd been part of the team for a long time.

"It was a good start," James said, per ESPN. "It's almost like the new guys have been here.

"It started with George [Hill] and his on-the-ball pressure and him just running the team," James said. "And then the three guys came off the bench.

"Jordan was -- he's ready to score at any time, but his composure was great. Rodney plays with so much poise, and Larry was just controlling the perimeter, setting great pick-and-rolls.

"Got him a lob, got him a dunk, so it was a good start for the new guys, a good start for all of us with our revamped team so far."

Before the game, Hill described LeBron as "Batman" and said they all had to be his "Robins", which they did to great effect in Beantown.

The King almost ended the night with another triple-double as he posted 24 points, 10 assists, and 8 rebounds. He sat the entire fourth quarter as the game was safely in the bag.

The four debutants combined for 49 points, with Clarkson producing the most impressive outing as he put up 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

It's a great start for the new-look Cleveland team and this performance should already fill the fans in Northeast Ohio with more optimism for the rest of the campaign.