Kendrick Perkins Explained Why He’s Still Very Confident That Miami Heat Will Win NBA Finals

The ESPN analyst hasn’t lost faith in Miami.

Even with the Heat trailing 2–1 in the NBA Finals to the Nuggets, Kendrick Perkins is sticking with his original pick to raise the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

In an appearance on ESPN’s First Take Friday, Perkins doubled down on the Heat to win it all and seemed awfully confident in his choice, saying he’s “not worried at all” despite the deficit Miami currently faces heading into Game 4.

“The Heat are going to win this series. … The series is 2–1, and the one thing we should understand about this Heat team is that they’re not afraid of going on the road and winning games,” Perkins said. “After they win this game tonight, the series is going to be tied 2–2.”

Perkins pointed out that this isn’t the first time many analysts have written off the Heat, noting that few expected them to win in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Celtics after their heartbreaking loss in Game 6. He also said he expects a bounceback game from Jimmy Butler, who is shooting just 42% from the field in the series, despite scoring 28 points in Wednesday’s Game 3 loss.

A critical Game 4 in Miami tips off Friday night at 8:30 p.m. ET.