by Tim Povtak

Filed under: Celtics, Magic, NBA Playoffs

ORLANDO, Fla. — If you ask Boston center Kendrick Perkins, the best defensive player in the Eastern Conference final this week might not be the NBA‘s much-acclaimed Defensive Player of the Year.

It could be him. And after the Celtics‘ Game 1 victory over the Orlando Magic Sunday, he might have a decent case.

No one pushes around Dwight Howard like Perkins always seems to do.

“Anytime I step on the court, I feel like I’m the best defensive guy out there,” Perkins said Monday before practice in preparation for Game 2 Tuesday night. “I anchor our defense the right way. I might not be the most athletic big man, but I get the job done.”

Perkins, who often plays basketball with the anonymity of an offensive lineman, has become a key player in the Celtics’ surprising quest for another NBA title.