PerkLights: Perk Returns and Looks Good

There wasn't much anticipation prior to last night's Celtics and Cavs matchup.  Until of course, Chris Forsberg of ESPNBoston.com tweeted that Kendrick Perkins would return.  It quickly got the TD Garden crowd buzzing to see the big man back in action for the first time since Game 6 of the 2010 NBA Finals last June.  In the limited minutes (and non-start) he received, he did not disappoint.

As a Celtic fan I'm not sure you could have asked for or expected more than what he did.  Sure he scored 7 points and grabbed 6 rebounds to go along with 3 assists, but the key was to watch him on defense and observe him planting his leg.  Most importantly, it was key to watch him move laterally and fight underneath with other big men for the rebounds and box-outs.  Perk did quite well and many times was the first one up and down the court, retreating at both ends.  Watch the "PerkLights" below to see how he did.

•  The clip begins with Mike Gorman & Tommy Heinsohn's commentary about Perk
• Perk enters the game at 8:02 in the first quarter to a standing ovation
• Antawn Jamison buries a jumper over Perk, but it's good to see Perk able to jump out quick on the smaller, quicker Jamison and challenge with the left hand
• Ray Allen drives and dishes to Perk who gets smacked by Christian Eyenga for two and the foul… Perk misses the free throw
• Perk jumping out on JJ Hickson, then off the Cavs miss, runs up the floor and boxes out Joey Graham
• He gets the deflection on the bad Daniel Gibson pass
• Then he runs up the floor and posts up Jamison, getting him to bite on the fake, but then gets blocked by Hickson… nice move regardless
• Makes a hard plant with his right leg while making a post-move on Hickson… then kicks it out to Rajon Rondo who drills a three
• Boxes out Ryan Hollins for the offensive rebound from Paul Pierce's missed three, then hands it off to Nate Robinson who drains the bomb
• Perk recovers laterally to challenge Jamison's made lay-up
• Hustles up the floor for another offensive rebound, then kicks it out to Ray for three
• Fighting for rebound positioning with the big Samardo Samuels
• Challenges the Jamison floater, forcing the miss
• Grappling underneath with Graham for rebounding position, clearly using his legs for power
• Nice post defense on Samuels, forcing him to pass off
• Rondo to Perk for the lay-up and 1 as Hickson comes down on him… Perk misses the free throw
• Perk loses Hickson on defense, but you can see him again moving laterally to jump out on the passer
• More lateral movement, as well as backwards movement eventually leading to a Big Baby taken charge
• Perk hustling up the floor denying the pass to Hickson
• Grabbing another offensive rebound and put back lay-up off the Nate missed three
• Grabbing a rebound to end the third quarter
• Working the nice pick-and-roll with Rondo, missing the lay-up, making 1 of 2 free throws… Nice to see the spinning away as he rolls here