Pistons Rally From 22 Down to Beat Celtics 121-113 in Opener

Updated 00:01 UTC, Oct 21, 2026

The full final numbers are in. Paul George scored 38 points in his Celtics debut, the most ever by a Boston player in his first game with the team, Reuters and AP reported. It was not enough. Jayson Tatum was held to 13 points on 6 for 23 shooting, missed all seven of his three point attempts, and added 11 assists. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard scored 17 each for Boston.

Detroit won the game in the fourth quarter. Boston led 72-50 early in the third after George hit three three pointers in 52 seconds, a 22 point lead. Javonte Green, who did not play in the first half, entered and changed the game at both ends. He finished with 19 points in 18 minutes. Duncan Robinson scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, including 11 straight during the comeback. Robinson set up a Green three, Jalen Duren added a three point play, and Robinson hit another three for 107-99 with 5:13 left. Green capped the 23-0 run with a three pointer for 112-99 with 3:33 to go, and hit two free throws with 6.7 seconds left after Boston cut the lead to four. Cade Cunningham scored 22 points with eight assists, Duren had 22 points and nine rebounds, and Ausar Thompson added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The comeback set a mark. It was the largest comeback on the first day of an NBA season in the play by play era, which dates to the 1997-98 season, ESPN Insights reported. Boston had gone 38-0 last season, playoffs included, when leading by at least 20 points. Next, Boston hosts the New York Knicks on Friday and Detroit plays at Miami on Friday, AP reported.

Updated 23:54 UTC

Final: Detroit Pistons 121, Boston Celtics 113. The final lines are now in. Paul George scored 38 points in his first game for Boston, a franchise record for a player on his Celtics debut, on 12 of 21 shooting with seven three pointers. It was not enough. Detroit trailed 72-50 with 8:35 left in the third quarter, then won with a 23-0 run in the fourth quarter. NBA Communications said the 22 point comeback was the largest on opening day in the play by play era. Cade Cunningham scored 22 points with eight assists for Detroit and Jalen Duren scored 22 points with nine rebounds. Duncan Robinson added 21 points and Javonte Green scored 19 points off the bench, with five three pointers each for Robinson and Green. Jayson Tatum, back from the Achilles injury that cost him most of last season, finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds for Boston, and Derrick White scored 17 points. Detroit starts 1-0. Boston is 0-1.

The Boston Celtics open their season at the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, with tipoff at 3:00 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The game is on NBC, streams on Peacock, and airs on radio on 97.1 FM The Ticket. It opens a three game NBA Tip-Off tripleheader on NBC, with the Philadelphia 76ers at the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the San Antonio Spurs later in the day.

How to watch Celtics vs Pistons

Fans in the United States can watch on NBC or stream the game on Peacock. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET, an early start for an opening night game. The Pistons are at home for the opener, so Detroit fans get the first look at a team that finished first in the East last season against a Boston roster that looks very different from a year ago.

Jayson Tatum is set to return

Jayson Tatum carries no injury designation for the opener and is expected to play. He missed most of last season after he tore his Achilles in the 2025 playoffs. No minutes restriction has been reported for Tuesday. RotoWire said Tatum was expected to suit up after he sat out the preseason finale for rest. His return is the main story of the game. Boston built its summer moves around getting Tatum back healthy, and a road game at the top seed from last season is a hard first test.

The injury report is short for both teams. Boston guard Devin Carter is out with an illness. Detroit forward Taurean Prince is questionable for personal reasons. No other starters for either team were listed as out in the reports before tipoff.

Projected starters for both teams

Boston is projected to start Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Detroit is projected to start Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins and Jalen Duren.

George is a new face in the Boston lineup. Boston traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in July 2026 and brought in Paul George, and the team also signed Mitchell Robinson. Detroit leans on Cunningham to run the offense, with Duren inside and Thompson on defense.

What last season says about this matchup

Detroit went 60-22 last season, finished first in the East and took the top seed. Boston went 56-26 and finished second. The Pistons won the regular season series 3-1. Those numbers explain why Detroit starts the season as the team to beat in the East, even with Tatum back for Boston.

This is a pregame look only. No score or result is known before tipoff, and the test for both teams starts with health and fit. For Detroit, the question is if last season was the start of a long run at the top. For Boston, the question is how fast a changed roster settles around Tatum again. Tuesday afternoon gives the first real answer for both.