Even though the Knicks lead the Celtics 2-0 in the teams’ Eastern Conference semifinals series, Charles Barkley believes Game 3 is a must-win for New York. The Hall of Famer views Boston as a far superior team that only needs one victory to take off.
Kendrick Perkins, however, couldn’t have a more different view of the best-of-seven set.
Perkins was openly critical of the Celtics after each of the series’ first two contests, and deservedly so. Boston blew 20-point leads in both games and was horrendous from 3-point range, an area that’s critical to the reigning champions’ success. But even though the C’s arguably were the better team for the majority of Games 1 and 2, Perkins isn’t giving his former club a chance the rest of the way.
“Right now, they (Knicks) have the mental edge over the Boston Celtics. I don’t give a damn what nobody says. The Celtics are done,” Perkins said Thursday on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “They’re not coming back in this series. I have all the trust and faith in the New York Knicks. They’re going to win this series. The Celtics will be lucky to get one game.”
Boston certainly is in an unenviable spot, but Perkins probably shouldn’t be so bullish about the Celtics’ demish. After all, it was a mere two years ago when the C’s trailed the Miami Heat 3-0 in the Eastern Conference finals and rallied to force a Game 7. Mind you, that Boston team was led by an interim head coach and a core that wasn’t as battle-tested and experienced as it is now.
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To be clear, it’s entirely possible that the Knicks squash the Celtics’ hopes of repeating. But completely counting Boston out after only two games feels dramatic.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
