The Boston Celtics told us they were not messing around this time, and like Lucy and her football in Peanuts, we fell for it once again as the Celtics mailed in their Game 5 performance against the Atlanta Hawks in the first round. And while we'd be remiss to avoid it altogether, on the latest episode of the CLNS Media "Celtics Lab" podcast, we elected to focus more on the postseason ahead (we hope) for Boston.

While we certainly say our piece on what went wrong in Game 5, we're more concerned about the games ahead of the Celtics in the remaining tilts of their series with Atlanta, a potential second-round collision with the Philadelphia 76ers, and how injuries and unexpected twists are reshaping the narrative of the 2023 NBA postseason before our very eyes.

Is the path to the finals really opening for Boston, or is it exactly the sort of scenario that tends to bring out the worst in the Celtics? Who will end up in the conference finals? And how is the West's postseason playing out?

 We also get into things much bigger than basketball, from accountability and second chances in the NBA to honoring those who've shared the best of themselves with us along the way.

The Celtics Lab podcast is brought to you by Fan Duel and Better Help.

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