After a dramatic Game 7 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2023 Eastern Conference semifinals driven by a historic 51 points from star Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, the Celtics are set to face the Miami Heat in what will not only be a rematch of the 2022 East Finals, but a rematch of both conference finals that we saw unfold in the 2020 Orlando bubble.
What will the now-staple Eastern Conference postseason matchup look like this time around? Has Boston finally exorcised the demons that have haunted them since the last time these two teams collided in the postseason? Or are they still vulnerable to Miami's zones, Jimmy Butler's maniacal play, and Eric Spoelstra's masterful coaching?
The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast got together with host Kyle Russell of the "Heaters Gonna Heat" podcast to help us get our bearings on this iteration of Boston's Floridian menace.
We get up to speed on how healthy the Heat are, how Kevin Love and Cody Zeller have given Miami a competent frontcourt rotation, and why this team should not be judged by how they played in the 2022-23 regular season.
The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to by Fan Duel and Better Help.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices