Kendrick Perkins: "We cool"

Speaking just 90 minutes before tipoff Sunday night at TD Banknorth Garden, Kendrick Perkins wants all who bleed green and white to know this much, the Celtics are not nervous about a fourth Game Seven in the last two years.

He also wants those same people who will be spending the night biting their nails to know they’re not exhausted either.

“Yeah, we cool. I don’t think it’s a problem,” Perkins said of the team’s stamina. “I think guys have a lot of energy. Our bench has been playing well for us of late, Scal has come in and gave us some productive minutes, Steph has come in and played well. I think guys are alright. It’s the playoffs so you’ve got to find some type of energy somewhere.”

But while saying the team has the energy, he does admit that the hours leading up to the game is like cramming for a final exam.

“Stressful,” he said. “You really want to be ready for jump ball and get the ending result and get the game overwith but leading up to the game is stressful. You’ve got to think about every situation, think about going out there and giving it your all or you go home. That’s about it.”

While this playoff season has so far mirrored last year’s run, which also featured Game Sevens in the first two rounds, that’s where the similarities end, according to the man who will be charged with covering Dwight Howard.

“It’s a different team,” Perkins said. “Last year, we had a little more depth, talent-wise. This year it’s a different team. A lot of guys haven’t been in situations. It’s a different bench. It’s not the same.”