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Why Kendrick Perkins is still not buying the Knicks after win over Celtics
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns celebrates with guard Josh Hart. Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

Why Kendrick Perkins is still not buying the Knicks after win over Celtics

By Colby Colwell  |  Last updated Apr 10, 2026 5:25 PM ET

The NBA regular season has entered its final weekend with the playoffs just around the corner.

On Thursday, the New York Knicks (52-28) took down the Boston Celtics (54-26), 112-106, keeping their hopes for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference alive. Still, the win was against a Celtics team that was without leading-scorer Jaylen Brown (left Achilles tendinitis).

Former NBA champion with the Celtics and current ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins was on Friday's edition of "First Take" and made it clear he is still not a believer in the Knicks overtaking the Celtics in the Eastern Conference.

Kendrick Perkins is not confident in the Knicks 

"The New York Knicks don't scare a soul. Not even on Halloween," Perkins said. "... The Celtics still have the most championship experience out of anybody in the Eastern Conference, they have a head coach in Joe Mazzulla who has taken them to the promised land and they have guys that know how to be stars in their role. So, I'm not gonna overreact and flip the script. Was it a great win, a good solid win for the Knicks? Absolutely. I still got the Celtics as the favorite."

Even with Brown sidelined for the Celtics, New York's ability to take care of business and make the plays when it needed to were crucial as it looks to improve its seeding ahead of the playoffs.

From Josh Hart (26 points, 10-of-15 FG) and Jalen Brunson (25 points, 10-of-19 FG, 10 assists) to Karl-Anthony Towns (16 points, 12 rebounds) and Mikal Bridges (10 points, 4-of-4 FG), the Knicks used a balanced effort to win the season series against the Celtics 3-1.

As good as the Knicks have played against the Celtics this season, Boston has not exactly been full strength for much of the 2025-26 campaign. In addition to Brown, six-time All-Star Jayson Tatum has missed the majority of the regular season after suffering a ruptured right Achilles tendon in the Eastern Conference semifinals last season.

That injury happened against the Knicks in a series New York went on to win. With that said, there is still something to be said about the postseason experience of Brown, Tatum, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard.

The Detroit Pistons (58-22) are atop the Eastern Conference right now but, like New York, lack the postseason experience. It was also just two seasons ago that they only won 14 games, so this is definitely uncharted territory for Detroit after its recent struggles. 

The Knicks just eliminated the Celtics one season ago, so if any team can knock Boston out of the playoffs, New York is certainly at the top. With that said, it will take a complete effort, especially if the Celtics can get healthy.

Colby Colwell
LinkedIn

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

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