Well, the word is out. Kendrick Perkins will not suit up for the Celtics and this may cost them the title.

Without Perkins there will be a need for the Celtics to find some inside defenders or else Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, yes, that Andrew Bynum will eat up the paint.

I can’t see Rasheed Wallace, Big Baby Glen Davis or Kevin Garnett being able to close them down. And if they don’t the Lakers will be NBA Champions once again.

As important as Kobe Bryant is to the Lakers, Pau Gasol may be the most important player tonight.

Gasol, hasn’t shined this series. He’s been OK and has had some good moments, but he has not had that dominating game that he is capable of.

Tonight is that night.

It’s truly amazing as to how critical Kendrick Perkins is to the Celtics. Though his point totals have been disappointing this series, he still presents a presence down low and effectively alters the Lakers big men’s shot.

Does he pull a Willis Reed? I doubt it. And even if he did I just don’t think he will make that difference.

The only player to pull of the old Reed act is Paul Pierce and that was at home in Boston in 2008. Sorry Celtics fans, this series will belong to the Lakers.

The other two factors that will feature in tonight’s game are tied together hand in hand. Bench play and referring.

It’s no secret that the refs have been awful this series. Games one and two were brutal to watch because of whistle happy refs. The following 4 games have been better but not terrific. If I had to grade the calls this series they would get a c-.

Well a c- tonight will not be good for basketball, the Celtics, the Lakers and the NBA. We want the best players to decide the championship not the bench players. And the only way that will happen is if the Refs swallow their whistles and JUST LET THEM PLAY.