Winning the Eastern Conference shouldn't be too difficult for the Celtics.
Boston is the best team left in the NBA playoffs, and it doesn't have much tread on tires after only losing a combined two games in the first two rounds. Sure, a sidelined Kristaps Porzingis isn't great for the Celtics, but they still boast arguably the league's best starting five and have an elite one-two punch in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Kendrick Perkins, however, believes the C's won't coast to the NBA Finals. The former Boston big man sees the pesky Indiana Pacers giving Joe Mazzulla's side a real fight.
"I have this series going seven games, OK?" Perkins said Monday on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show." "I give the nod to the Celtics, but this Indiana Pacers team has shown me something these first two rounds. They're not going anywhere. Whether the world believes in them or not, they believe in themselves. That's the most important thing, and they're showing it. They're showing it and they're not backing down from anyone. You want to play physical? We can do that. We're gonna put up points because we arguably have the best pure point guard in the league, Tyrese Haliburton, who wants to get everyone involved."
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Oddsmakers aren't on the same page as Perkins, who won a championship with the Celtics in 2008. Of the four "Exact Total Games" options at FanDuel Sportsbook, seven (+400) has the longest odds. Five (+140) carries the shortest number, and the C's are an overwhelming favorite (-1100) to win the best-of-seven set.
That said, we've already seen a few upsets in these playoffs. So the Pacers giving the Celtics a run for their money can't be totally ruled out.
Featured image via Trevor Ruszkowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
