Kendrick Perkins declares Celtics dead, and fans are ticked

He pointed to the anticipated environment at Madison Square Garden for Games 3 and 4, saying the Knicks’ home crowd would elevate the team’s performance.

“Do you realize how rocking Madison Square Garden is gonna be in Game 3… the energy in itself is gonna have the Knicks players making shots,” Perkins said. “Do you realize that they have one of the best, the best clutch guy in Jalen Brunson? Do you realize that role players actually play better at home? So, I’m expecting Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, even Mikal Bridges to play better at home although, Mikal Bridges and those guys have been playing better on the road.”

Kendrick Perkins’ bold prediction sparks backlash as Celtics face 2-0 deficit vs. Knicks

Perkins doubled down on his belief that the Knicks now hold the psychological edge.

“Look right now, they have the mental edge over the Boston Celtics. I don’t give a damn what nobody say,” Perkins added. “The Celtics are done. 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.”

The former Celtics center, who won a championship with the team in 2008, has remained a prominent voice in NBA media, but his sharp criticism of Boston struck a nerve among the fanbase. Celtics supporters reacted with frustration on social media, accusing Perkins of turning on his former team too quickly after two narrow losses.

Boston, the defending NBA champions, now finds itself in a 2-0 hole with the series shifting to New York for Game 3 on Saturday. Despite strong performances from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Celtics were unable to close out Game 2 after leading by 20 points in the third quarter.

New York capitalized with a 23-6 run to end the game, punctuated by late-game execution on both ends of the floor. Jalen Brunson delivered clutch free throws, while Mikal Bridges came up with a key steal in the final seconds.

The Celtics now face mounting pressure to avoid elimination and must respond quickly to avoid falling behind 3-0 — a deficit no team in NBA history has come back from in a playoff series.

Perkins’ declaration may have struck a chord, but Boston’s path to redemption now runs through Madison Square Garden.