Before the game, C.J. Watson said he probably wouldn't play until late in the week. Less than an hour later, he was in the starting lineup. By game's end, he had scored 17 points.

"I can move it pretty good," he said. "I can shoot all right. The pain will hopefully go away throughout the season. I just wanted to get out there and play and help my team."

Watson wore and padded sleeve on the elbow and twice crashed to the floor on it but remained in the game.

"You can't say enough about what he has done to get back this quickly," coach Tom Thibodeau said. "That was a positive sign for us."