Ex-Celtics champ outlines one condition for Knicks to take down Boston for ECF spot

After grinding out a six-game series win over the Detroit Pistons, the New York Knicks now face a tall task in the second round — a matchup against the reigning champion Boston Celtics, a team they failed to beat in all four regular-season meetings.

But former Celtics champ Kendrick Perkins believes New York has a real shot at the upset — as long as Karl-Anthony Towns shows up in a big way.

Towns had an up-and-down series against Detroit. In New York’s four wins, he put up 22.8 points and 10.8 rebounds while shooting 53%. In their two losses, however, he managed just 13.5 ppg and 8.5 rpg on 33% shooting.

“We know what Jalen Brunson is going to bring to the table,” Perkins said Friday. “The Knicks have a legit shot of going out there and beating the Boston Celtics if Karl-Anthony Towns decides to stand on business.

“Because what I just saw in this last series — that ain’t gonna cut the mustard. That’s not gonna cut it.”

Perkins added that if Towns simply meets his season averages, it could swing the series in New York’s favor. Towns averaged 24.4 ppg and 12.8 rpg over 72 regular-season games.

“I strongly believe that he’s the most important piece and the most important player in this series,” Perkins added. “He should go out there and he should want to dominate against Kristaps Porzingis. If he could do that, I think the Knicks pull it off.”

In the four regular-season losses to Boston, the Knicks were outscored by an average of 23, 27, 13 and two points, respectively.

Kendrick Perkins sees opportunity for Knicks, calls Celtics ‘vulnerable’ due to lingering injuries

The Celtics cruised past the Orlando Magic in five games to open the playoffs — but they weren’t at full strength, with Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday nursing injuries. Kendrick Perkins thinks those issues could be more costly against New York.

“The Celtics are vulnerable right now because of the injuries,” he said. “We don’t know what’s going on with Jrue Holiday. Obviously, he’s not healthy. Jayson Tatum (is) dealing with the wrist injury, but he’s still balling. And then you have Jaylen Brown dealing with the knee issue.

“Perfect opportunity for the New York Knicks.”

The Knicks haven’t been fully healthy either — both Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart tweaked their ankles during the postseason — but they’ve stayed active so far.

Game 1 of the Knicks-Celtics series tips off Sunday.

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John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university’s official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant’s departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson’s record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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