The Celtics sent the Cavs to their 18th straight loss blah blah blah blah...
Kendrick Perkins returned to the lineup!
Forgive me for skipping to the important part. But a win against the hapless Cavs, even one that avenges, as this one does, an early-season loss, is nothing to write about. The return of big number 43, just seven months after tearing his ACL in the opening minutes of Game 6 of the NBA Finals, is.
I knew Perk was close to coming back; reports had established February 4 against Dallas as his target return date. But seeing him suit up Tuesday night, a week and a half early, was certainly a surprise.
Perkins' return has to be considered a big success. First and most importantly, he showed no real ill effects, physically, from the injury or the surgery to repair it. He moved laterally. He ran hard up the floor -- his familiar, loping gait providing reassurance that all was well. He challenged shots, fought for rebounds, and finished at the basket.
He played so well, in fact, and the atmosphere surrounding his return was so positive, that one has to pause to remind oneself that this is Kendrick Perkins we're talking about. No one recognizes the value of what Perkins brings to the floor more than Boston fans do, but he doesn't suddenly make the Celtics an unstoppable force. He had eight points and six rebounds in limited minutes against a pathetic and undersized Cavs front line, and those totals are more or less in line with what we can expect from him as he works himself into better shape and plays against stiffer competition.
But Perkins is a big piece of a title contender, and it's reassuring to have him back out on the floor. His absence may have cost the Celtics a title last year. His return may win them one this season.
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