Jay King says the Celtics have found their identity at this point: a defensive team that grinds out games. He doesn't see them as elite, so that means the playoffs will be a grind from start to finish. But that doesn't mean this group can't make it to the NBA Finals. 

Off the Celtics-Rockets thriller that Jay was stranded for, the Rainin J's podcaster crosses enemy lines to join the CelticsBlog pod and describe the "Antonio Gates/Rob Gronkowski"-esqe play that almost tied the game at the buzzer for Boston. We also talked Al Horford's recent struggles and Jaylen Brown only taking eight shot attempts in the contest. 

But perhaps the most-stunning news of the past week was Brad Stevens officially saying that Gordon Hayward will not play this year. What changed that closed the door for good? 

Greg Monroe's resurgence, the bench unit Boston has found, the dynamic of the three centers and their playing time sit as topics too. And what's a Celts show without Marcus Smart's name (+39 since his return) coming up?