With three weeks to go in the NBA regular season, teams are starting to ramp up for the playoffs.
That includes the Boston Celtics, who have been playing great basketball lately. They just went 3-0 on their most recent homestand and are 5-2 since Jayson Tatum returned.
With Tatum rounding into form after a shaky shooting start, the Celtics are looking increasingly dangerous as the postseason approaches. Kendrick Perkins thinks they have what it takes to go all the way.
"They're ready to go to the NBA finals. They're still the best duo in the Eastern Conference," Perkins said on NBA Courtside prior to Boston's 120-99 rout of the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday. "They have the most championship experience and they can fit and they're willing to make it work. Because Jayson Tatum returned, and he fit right on in."
Kendrick Perkins on what he's seen from the Celtics since Jayson Tatum return:
"They're ready to go to the NBA finals. They're still the best duo in the Eastern Conference. They have the most championship experience and they can fit and willing to make it work. Jayson Tatum… pic.twitter.com/HKRM1u7gJV
— NBA Courtside (@NBA__Courtside) March 18, 2026
Perkins continued to praise Tatum specifically, calling him "a star in his role" complementing Jaylen Brown, who's having an MVP-caliber season.
"I understand the percentages are not there for us when he's shooting, but he's doing a lot of the other things," Perkins added. "Grabbing rebounds, dropping dimes, defending at a high level, getting out in transition, and he's not taking away from Jaylen Brown. The man just had a 41-piece."
Brown and Tatum have been fantastic together, going 5-1 when they're both in the lineup. The only game they lost was the one where Brown got ejected in the second quarter.
The Celtics still have a few more weeks to gel with Tatum back, too, so they should be even more prepared by the time the playoffs start next month.
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