LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers looked like they were having fun for the first time in a long time during their stunning 22-point beatdown of the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon.

It was the first game for Rodney Hood, Jordan Clarkson, George Hill and Larry Nance Jr. Hill brought length and defensive activity to the point guard spot while the more youthful acquisitions brought some much-needed verve and athleticism.

The Cavs started the season with a much more accomplished roster of players, but that group did not work together and constantly disappointed. The new unit looked like a team that did not care about the past and were only trying to create a future they’ll be remembered by.

In the end, what LeBron needed were players that match his intensity.

“At the end of the day, I just like being around guys who want to play and work hard,” James told reporters after the game, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. “I know I demand a lot of excellence out of my teammates, but I demand out of myself, too. And we on the road, we want to try and play as well as we can, and we want to try to put ourselves in contention to try to compete for another championship, and that’s my mindset.

“I know the guys that’s here, they’re very excited about this opportunity, and it’s my job to keep them excited about being here. They’re joining something that, obviously, the last couple months hasn’t been what we expected, but over the course of the last four years since I came back has been really good basketball. So it’s my job as the leader of this team to make sure that I acclimate the new four guys to be around a culture that’s built on winning and practicing championship habits, so that’s it.”

This younger Cavs unit give James a chance to mold a much younger team than the group they split apart on Thursday. Gone are veterans who have made their names in other places and they’ve been replaced by mostly young, hungry players.

After one game, that exuberance injected new life into the Cavs. It might just be what they need to get back to the NBA Finals for a fourth straight year.