BOSTON — Kendrick Perkins knew that when Kevin Garnett, the reigning defensive player of the year, went down with a knee injury on Feb. 19 in Utah that he would have to do more to help the Celtics win games at both ends of the floor.

He’s done exactly that.

Boston captain Paul Pierce said that Perkins has played so well all season that he deserves to be named to one of the NBA’s all-defensive teams.

"For us to be the top defensive field-goal team, with Perk among the shot-block leaders, he definitely gets my vote on the all-defensive team," Pierce said. "I can't think of anybody in the league whose done a better job than he’s done this year, especially with Kevin [Garnett] being out.

"He's doing a great job of rebounding, clogging up the middle, blocking shots, and getting the offensive rebound. So if he doesn’t make the all-defensive team, it will be a conspiracy."

A conspiracy?

Perkins knows that he doesn’t get the publicity of a player such as Orlando’s Dwight Howard, who leads the NBA in blocked shots and is considered by most to be the best center in the East, but Perkins believes he is just as good as a defensive player as Howard is.

Perkins never thought much about making the NBA All-Defensive team until last Friday, when he had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and tied a career-high with seven blocked shots. After the game, Pierce proclaimed that Perkins should be on the all-defensive team, and Perkins was bombarded with questions about it.

"I just try to go out there and do my job and let the chips fall where they may," Perkins said. "I really haven’t thought about [making the all-defensive team]. I’ve been hearing a lot of coaches say they would vote me on, which would be a privilege. But I’m just going to go out there and try to finish up the season strong and do my job.

"Hopefully I’ll make it, but that’s not my goal. My goal is to win another ring. If you win another ring, everybody gets a piece of it. Individual goals, that’s cool, but when you have bigger goals, you tend to achieve the smaller goals. So I hope that I can make it, but if I don’t it’s no big deal. You know, I’ve still got my eyes on the prize."

Perkins is averaging 8.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.0 blocks per game. As one of the hardest workers on the Celtics roster, Perkins said that stats don’t mean a lot to him as long as the Celtics win.

"I just go out there and try to do my job," Perkins said. "Some nights I may score three points, but at the same time I’ll have three points and 12 rebounds and four blocks so I will feel like I have done my job. I don’t really worry about scoring. When I get my opportunities, I’m not a bad scorer. I can finish, but that’s not my role so I don’t stand out to a lot of people because I’m not putting up 20 points ever night.

"I just go out there and play my role defensively and set picks to get Ray [Allen] open, [Rajon] Rondo open, and Paul open. Baby (Glen Davis) is hitting his jump shot, too . . . You just have to take yourself out of the equation for the greater whole."

Perkins’ teammates appreciate his effort.

"He's an enforcer in there," Davis said of Perkins.

"The most important reason [why Perkins has improved] is because he’s made it a priority," Boston coach Doc Rivers said.

Perkins is playing his heart out because he feels like he has something to prove.

"I think sometimes you just want to prove a few things — not toward Kevin, but I’m just talking about proving to other people that, you know, [I] can do stuff, too," Perkins said. "I just feel like right now I’m just trying to prove that I can do a little bit more with Kevin out. When Kevin gets back, that’s just going to make us better."

Perkins said that Garnett has taken him under his wing and made him a better player, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

"I'm just trying to be the captain on the defense right now,” Perkins said. “KG is out and I’m the last line of defense so I’m just trying to talk and be there for guys — step up and help. I think the only thing I need to get better at is defensively learning how to take a few charges.

"When he gets back, I think I need to continue to talk. I think that will make us a lot better of a defensive ball club. Right now Kevin is always telling me to go out there and be the anchor on defense and be the loudest one, so I’m just trying to go out there and do that every night consistently until he gets back."

roblee@projo.com