The New Orleans Times-Picayune (John Reid) reports: Kendrick Perkins will start tonight against the Los Angeles Lakers after missing Sunday’s Game 5 with a strained left shoulder. Perkins participated in Tuesday morning’s shootaround and deemed himself ready. But Coach Doc Rivers did not make it official until about an hour before tip-off when he announced Perkins would start. Without Perkins in Game 5, the Rivers was forced to start backup Leon Powe. Powe played 4 1/2 minutes and did not score or grab a rebound before he was replaced by Slidell resident P.J. Brown, who played 24 minutes and scored four points and grabbed three rebounds.
