Kendrick Perkins shared his thoughts on a potential NBA Finals matchup between the Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder during Wednesday’s broadcast of NBA Today, predicting a competitive seven-game series between the two teams.
“If they was to match up in the Finals, I think that series goes seven games… I really do,” Perkins said. “I think SGA is just that damn special but again if you look at the starting five of the Boston Celtics, it’s no drop-off – offensively, defensively.”
Perkins, who played for both teams during his NBA career, compared the high-stakes nature of the Finals to a boxer stepping into the ring against an all-time great.
“It’s almost like fighting Floyd Mayweather in Vegas when you go to the NBA Finals… You’re first time in the NBA Finals, you could be overwhelmed.”
Kendrick Perkins is taking the Celtics if they face the Thunder in the Finals
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“I always tell people, it’s almost like comparing it to a boxing match and you fighting Floyd Mayweather in Vegas when you going to the NBA Finals,” Perkins said. “Your first time in the NBA Finals, you could be overwhelmed by all of the attention, the excitement, the focus being on you and then all of a sudden you forget that you actually have to play basketball.”
Kendrick Perkins sees Celtics and Thunder as top contenders for potential Finals matchup
The Celtics, who won the championship last season, currently hold a 50-19 record and are on a three-game winning streak following Tuesday night’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, Boston has maintained its position as one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference.
Oklahoma City, meanwhile, has surged to a 56-12 record, tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA. The Thunder have continued to build on their success from last season, when they finished with 57 wins and earned the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference before being eliminated in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks.
The Thunder have won both meetings against the Celtics this season, including a 118-112 victory last Wednesday. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the way for Oklahoma City in that game with 34 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and a steal, shooting 11-for-20 from the field and 10-for-11 from the free-throw line.
Tatum finished with 33 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in the loss, narrowly missing a triple-double. Despite the Celtics’ struggles against the Thunder this season, Perkins believes a potential Finals matchup would be highly competitive, with Boston’s depth and experience posing a major challenge for Oklahoma City.
With both teams vying for the top spots in their respective conferences, a Celtics-Thunder Finals remains a strong possibility. If it happens, Perkins’ analogy suggests that the pressure and spotlight of the championship stage could play a significant role in shaping the outcome.
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