He set a record last spring for the most points scored against the Celtics in the playoffs with 979 in 34 games.

LeBron James moved past both Jerry West (859) and Wilt Chamberlain (842) during the 2017 Eastern Conference finals while stopping the Celtics in five games.

Six times the Celtics have faced James when he was with either Cleveland or Miami, and they have gone 2-4, losing the past four series since winning in 2008 and 2010.

James has had success against everyone since entering the NBA as a teen sensation in 2003, but lately has especially been difficult for the Celtics.

On Sunday afternoon, the 33-year-old James will be back on the parquet floor for an Eastern Conference finals rematch with the Celtics, still going strong after all of these years.

His team has made wholesale changes since the Cavaliers and Celtics last met in the playoffs with only five players still on the roster from a year ago.

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But James is still James and has carried the Cavaliers to the doorstep of another trip to the NBA finals, something they’ll accomplish by getting past the undermanned and surprising Celtics.

If the Celtics are going to keep their amazing ride going, they are going to have to do something about the dominant James, and it won’t be in the hands of just one defender.

“He’s out there doing whatever he wants,” said Celtics guard Terry Rozier after practice Friday afternoon. “It’s nothing against the defense or sometimes you’re not tall enough to block his shot or things like that.

“But you can try to affect his shot as much as you can by showing hands, being long off the ball, being active by showing bodies. We know he’s going to make some crazy plays. That’s LeBron.

“We’ve got to try to make it as tough as we can. You know he’s not going to make every crazy play every time down. We’ve just got to show our energy and length.”

Last year, it was Jae Crowder, now with the Utah Jazz, who was the primary defender against James with Al Horford, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart taking some cracks at trying to slow him down.

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This year, it will be Brown, Marcus Morris, Jayson Tatum, Horford, Smart and Semi Ojeleye all getting the assignment at various points during games.

“With this group,” said Horford, “we have more depth in those positions suited more to guard LeBron. We have a lot more bodies to take on that challenge.”

Good luck to all of them, since James has been rolling, averaging 34.3 points on 55 percent shooting, 9.4 rebounds and nine assists in 11 playoff games so far.

For the first time in his career, James played all 82 games. He averaged 27.5 points, the most since the 2009-10 season, with a career-best 9.1 assists. With Kyrie Irving now a member of the Celtics, James took on an even bigger role on offense.

“LeBron presents all kinds of challenges,” said Horford. “He can really shoot the ball from the outside. He’s just kind of a complete player.

“It is a big challenge, but the thing I told you guys earlier in the playoffs, it’s not about the one-on-one matchup. Against a guy like LeBron, it’s the team. We have to do a job of really trying to contain him as best we can, and have the game to go the way we want it to go.”

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Irving, out for the season after having two procedures on his left knee, is offering insight into James and the Cavaliers after spending the first six years of his career in Cleveland, three with James.

“I spent a lot of time with him (Thursday),” said Coach Brad Stevens of Irving. “I’m sure he’ll talk to our players individually. Certainly I’ll pick Kyrie’s brain on not only him but the other guys around him.”

James had 42, 33, 45, 38 and 35 points in the five games against the Celtics a year ago during the playoffs, and they are expecting him to generate plenty of production this time around, too.

“It’s definitely not a one-on-one thing,” said Brown. “It’s definitely going to be a team thing. One guy (is) going to have a tough time trying to stop LeBron James. It’s going to take a full team effort, that’s what we plan on doing.”

Stevens might tweak the starting lineup and have Morris replace center Aron Baynes so that he can open the game defending James.

“I don’t know,” said Stevens. “We’ll look at all those things … and let you know.”

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