Kendrick Perkins is not expecting a lopsided affair, one way or the other, when the Celtics and the Heat meet Monday night.
For the second straight season, Boston and Miami will compete for the Eastern Conference crown in a Game 7. The Heat had the Celtics on the ropes after building a 3-0 series lead, but Jayson Tatum and company rallied all the way back to force a winner-take-all clash at TD Garden.
Saturday night's Game 6 was a hard-fought battle to the bitter end, and Perkins expects a similar bout Monday. The NBA center-turned-analyst believes his former team will make history and return to the Finals, but he's not totally sold on the take.
"This will be a dogfight," Perkins said on ESPN's "First Take." "If anybody thinks this is going to be a blowout or a smackdown or a spanking, it's not going to be either one of those. The Miami Heat are gonna come in here and compete. This is the same situation, just a different court, from last year. Jimmy Butler's going to be more aggressive, but I do think the Celtics will pull this one out tonight. I'm not comfortable saying that and they have given me reasons why, but I believe they will pull it out."
Perkins isn't the only ESPN personality who is reluctant to have faith in the Celtics in Game 7. League insider Brian Windhorst can't look past Boston's recent shortcomings in favorable spots, but the Celtics' track record in Game 7s of late also speaks for itself.
Boston and Miami will tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET. The winner will battle the Denver Nuggets in the championship round.
