The Boston Celtics took Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals in emphatic fashion thanks to a surprisingly spry Kristaps Porzingis in his first game in the '24 NBA Playoffs in over a month, and perhaps the best defensive game of Jaylen Brown's career.

Even on a night that saw Jayson Tatum go 6-of-16 from the floor, he still found ways to impact the game, and Boston as a whole limited Dallas to just 9 assists and 4 shot attempts between bigs Daniel Gafford and Derrick Lively II. The Celtics roared out to a 29-point lead only to see the Mavs cut it to 8 points in the third frame, but a healthy dose of the clamps coupled with a trademark Boston scoring barrage put Dallas away for good.

To talk over what they saw in Game 1 of the series, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast, Alex Goldberg, Cameron Tabatabaie, and Justin Quinn, convened postgame from TD Garden.

They also preview what might be coming in Game 2 of the series on Sunday evening, so if you want to gloat a bit or just need to get your bearings, this is the pod for you.

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If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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The Boston Celtics will take the court against the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals on this coming Thursday (June 6) evening at TD Garden. And despite the fact that Boston was widely seen as a chief contender even before the 2023-24 regular season and the Mavs much less so, both clubs share a number of parallels that should make this an absolutely scintillating finals matchup.

The prodigal sons of Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porzingis not only returning to face their former teams, but also a place that amplifies their talents. Two younger coaches finding their stride at the same time, and two stars in Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic battling to be the next face of the NBA.

The lists go on and on, but perhaps more important than any other, these teams are both highly adaptable, extremely skilled, and deep. The tactical aspect of this series in particular should be one of the best we've seen in a long time.

To talk it over, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with former Mavs Moneyball editor Andy Tobolowsky. Join us for everything you need to know ahead of Game 1.

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The Boston Celtics punched their ticket to the 2024 NBA Finals when they defeated the Indiana Pacers in just four games to win the league's Eastern Conference finals, and now we have Boston's finals opponent set with a winner for the Western Conference finals as well.

That victor will be the Dallas Mavericks, who needed five games to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves in the West finals on this past Thursday (May 30) night. The matchup will be laden with narratives we have been hearing for years now, from Kyrie Irving and Kristaps Porzingis' return, two oft-critiqued coaches being the last two playing, among many, many more.

Ahead of a full preview, the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast decided to take a tour of all the narratives we should be expecting -- and which ones we think actually matter.

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If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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The Boston Celtics beat the Indiana Pacers 105-102 in Game 4 of their 2024 Eastern Conference finals, sweeping the Pacers to advance to the 2024 NBA Finals as they await to see which of the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves Western Conference finals series.

The Celtics will have a 10-day gap between the final buzzer and the start of the finals, plenty of time for injured Boston big man Kristaps Porzingis to finish healing up, and veteran forward Al Horford to get a little rest. Boston earned their Bob Cousy award for their efforts, and Jaylen Brown the Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player award as well.

We'll have plenty of time to dive deep into whichever club (probably Dallas) the Celtics will play for the 2024 NBA title, but for today, join the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast hosts as they revel in the Game 4 win -- and pay their respects to Bill Walton's passing -- rest in peace.

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If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers 126-110 in Game 2 of the NBA's 2024 Eastern Conference finals thanks to a career playoff-high matching 40 points from Jaylen Brown. But it came at the expense of backup big man Luke Kornet's wrist being sprained on a team already thin at center; will Boston be okay with Kornet on the bench?.

On the other side of the court, however, we saw Pacers star Tyrese Halliburton leave the game injured in the second half with what initially appeared to be a re-aggravation of the hamstring injury that kept him out for significant time this season. Will he be able to play when the series shifts pack to Indiana for Game 3, and if not, is a sweep incoming?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast reacted to the win postgame from the Garden (excuse the Wi-Fi issues, please), seeing some small ball looks that paid off -- and defensive lapses that did not. 

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Game 1 of the Boston Celtics Eastern Conference finals series with the Indiana Pacers is in the books, and the Celtics have a 1-0 series lead with their 133-128 win. 

But it took overtime to pull it off, and Boston digging deep with a few lucky breaks to pull out the win, a few minor mistakes over the course of the contest nearly costing them the win in their own arena of TD Garden (and home court advantage with it). Perhaps having been burned so many times before in similar situations helped them find the necessary gear, but there are some serious concerns in need of a fix for Boston to advance to the 2024 NBA Finals.

How will they manage to stay afloat in their frontcourt rotation with Kristaps Porzingis still several games away from a return? Can they keep using drop coverage so liberally? And what players off their bench can make an impact in this series?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with Kory Waldron, the host of the "Full Access Hoops" podcast to break down what we saw in Game 1 and what we expect in Game 2. Make sure you check it out to get up to speed on all things East finals.

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The Boston Celtics have defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 113-98 in Game 5 of their 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals series to advance to the NBA's 2024 Eastern Conference finals. It came via a massive game from veteran Boston big man Al Horford, and it also saw perhaps the best postseason play from star Celtics forward Jayson Tatum as well.

As an added bonus, the team will get a bit of rest while they wait to learn their opponent in the next round from the New York Knicks - Indiana Pacers series. How do we feel about the East semis victory? Do we have any lingering concerns for the next round? When do we think Kristaps Porzingis will return to the court? Who will Boston play, and who do we want them to play?

The hosts of the "Celtics Lab" podcast sat down after the win to talk about all of the above. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about the Al Horford game, the Cavs series, and what comes next.

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The Boston Celtics have a commanding 3-1 series lead vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers in their East semis second round series. But there were moments in the contest where old Celtics habits crept back in and put the game's outcome in doubt, with fans of the team predictably melting down on social media in response to those mistakes.

Do we need to worry about more of the same should Boston advance? And why is this still happening on some nights? Shouldn't they be better on nights when key players like Donovan Mitchell aren't available? And who taught Derrick White how to be a master of dad jokes?

If you're wondering why that last question came up, it's because the hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast connected with Derrick White's dad, Richard White, to enlist his help in killing bad narratives (and getting to the bottom of the best humor out there, at least in our opinion). We get into the Game 4 win and what might be coming down the pike in future games and rounds so be sure to check it out!

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In Game 2 of their 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals series with the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers came out with a plan and stuck to it. The Celtics, on the other hand, came out with an all-too-familiar lackluster effort that cost them a potentially critical contest.

Boston should have anticipated a hungry Cavs squad would be prepared to fight back after a flat Game 1 performance, yet played without focus or energy for much of the game. How will both teams react in Game 3 as the series shifts to Cleveland? What do we expect to see from both ball clubs in response to what went down in Game 2? And how close will the injured players from both rosters be to return?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast linked up with Evan Dammarell of "Locked On Cavs" for a crossover episode, so each show can pull back the curtain on how the other side of the series is seeing things. Be sure to tune in to get a bead on what to expect from both squads now that we have a postseason series on our hands.

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The Boston Celtics finally know their opponent for the NBA's 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals series. With the Cleveland Cavaliers emerging victorious in their first round series vs. the Orlando Magic, Boston's next opponent is locked in. And with that knowledge, the Celtics and their fans can begin to get an idea of the potential contours of this series.

How dangerous are the Cavs for the Celtics? What are their weaknesses and strengths? How do they match up with Boston, and what else do we need to know about this series? The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast walked us through the looming second round series with Cleveland on their most recent episode.

They also get us up to speed on the status of Kristaps Porzingis' soleus injury and take stock of the other postseason series unfolding around the league. So buckle up as we prepare for what we hope will be a fairly smooth run to the East finals for the Celtics, barring a miracle from the Cavs.

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If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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The Boston Celtics got their revenge against the Miami Heat for sending them fishing in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, instead kicking off the Heat's postseason with a Game 5 win over Miami in their 2024 NBA Eastern Conference first round series.

The 118-84 blowout was a fitting end for longtime Celtics broadcaster Mike Gorman's 43-year career, and now Boston waits for star center Kristaps Porzingis to heal up and for a winner to emerge from the Cleveland Cavaliers - Orlando Magic series. The Celtics will face the winner perhaps as soon as next Sunday (May 5). What do we need to reflect on from this series, and what else is coming down the pike?

The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast got together postgame to get us up to speed with all things Boston and postseason. We also give Celtics president Brad Stevens his flowers for a well-earned Executive of the Year award.

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If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network.

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