Kendrick Perkins says Knicks have ‘legit shot’ vs. Celtics if Karl-Anthony Towns ‘decides to stand on business’

It took a game-winning 3-pointer with less than five seconds remaining from star guard Jalen Brunson, but the New York Knicks won Game 6 of their first-round series against the Detroit Pistons on Thursday.

A young and physical Pistons team gave New York a real run for its money in the best-of-seven series, but the Knicks were able to punch their ticket to the second round of the playoffs for a third straight year.

In the second round, the Knicks will take on none other than the Boston Celtics. The Celtics stand out as the clear favorites to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, as Boston has the edge over New York when it comes to star power, depth and playoff experience.

But former Celtics big man Kendrick Perkins isn’t ruling out the Knicks against his old team. He said that if star big Karl-Anthony Towns “decides to stand on business,” New York will have a “legit shot” versus the reigning champs.

Towns had a feast-or-famine series against the Pistons, as he was massive in some games and quiet in others. The former University of Kentucky standout has a shaky playoff track record, and he lived up to his reputation versus Detroit.

For example, a couple of his worst showings of the series came when he scored just 10 points in Game 2 and mustered only 10 once again in Game 6. Towns fouled out in Game 6 and finished with more fouls than made shots from the field.

Conversely, he left his fingerprints all over Games 3 and 4 on the road, and the Knicks won both games. He scored 31 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field in Game 3 and followed up that showing with a 27-point outing in Game 4.

Towns and the Knicks will hope to start their series against the Celtics off on a strong note with a road victory in Monday’s Game 1. It’s of note that Boston has yet to lose a game at home so far in the 2025 NBA Playoffs and beat the Orlando Magic by more than 30 points at TD Garden in a closeout Game 5.