Kendrick Perkins Makes Bold Prediction About Knicks Series
NBA champion/analyst Kendrick Perkins has long invested his verbal stock into the 2023-24 New York Knicks and he's not pulling out now.
Perkins, now working with ESPN, has long bucked the mainstream trends of doubting the Knicks and continued to vouch for Manhattan on Monday's edition of "The Pat McAfee Show." The timing of Perkins' support, less than 24 hours after the Knicks were on the wrong end of a 121-89 shellacking at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, is perhaps the most telling sign of his belief in his fomer division rivals.
"I have this series going seven games," Perkins said. "The New York Knicks went (to Indiana) to get Game 3. They knew they didn't have a snowball's chance in hell to get Game 4, especially with a limited bench and then coming in on an afternoon game when you have a team that's deep like the Indiana Pacers ... but it's going to be rocking at Madison Square Garden on (Tuesday) night."
Perkins revealed that he plans to be seated courtside for Game 5 of the series, which is set to be staged on Tuesday night at MSG (8 p.m. ET, TNT). The former Boston Celtic revealed that he was invited by comedian and Knicks superfan Tracy Morgan and anticipated potentially sitting next to another funny name in Ben Stiller and taking in the on-court antics "big-body (Jalen) Brunson" come tip-off.
The 2008 NBA champion has earned a bit of a cult following among Knicks fans for his support of the team while others have labeled New York's success facetious or a fluke. Perkins recently targeted Golden State Warriors agitator Draymond Green for the latter barb, calling a "lazy a** take" on the Friday edition of ESPN's "First Take" last week.
Knicks fans and beyond have come to expect the unexpected this postseason. A man of Boston heritage and accomplishments earning cheers from the MSG crowd certainly has to be included among the most improbable.
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks