BOSTON -- Boston forward Glen Davis and Chicago forward Tyrus Thomas will be matched up against one another in this best-of-seven first-round series.

That is nothing new to them. They've played basketball with and against each other nearly their entire lives.

"I've played against Tyrus all of my life so it's going to feel good - two Baton Rouge guys playing against each other in the playoffs," Davis said. "I think this is the first time that has ever happened so it's a good feeling."

Davis said that he first met Thomas when he was eight and they became close friends in middle school.

"In high school I would go pick him up at his school and he would come to my school to pick me up when he got off early," Davis said.

Davis said that the two, who both went to LSU after high school where they led the Tigers to the Final Four in 2007, are still friends.

"He's going to do his little bragging and I'm going to sit there and be quiet. That's what old friends do," Davis said of what he expects in the matchup.

Davis said that he won't be putting any pressure on himself to perform like Kevin Garnett would.

"The way I look at it, there is no pressure because the majority of the country out there are doubting me anyway," Davis said. "Why would you put pressure on yourself if people don't think you can help make it to the championship. I think with Kevin being out and the bigs that we have right now, we have a chip on our shoulder. We're not trying to prove anything but we are trying to let the world know that we're here and we're ready to play. With or without Kevin, we are going to play Celtics basketball."