The Detroit Pistons stunned the Boston Celtics 121-113 in both teams' 2026-27 season opener on Tuesday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena, erasing a 22-point deficit behind a historic fourth-quarter run. The result overshadowed a record-breaking debut from new Celtics forward Paul George, who finished with a game-high 38 points.
A Record Night for Paul George
Paul George surpassed Kyle Korver for eighth place on the NBA's all-time 3-pointers made list and set the record for most points in a Celtics debut, surpassing Kristaps Porzingis' 30 points in 2023. George, making his Celtics debut, finished with a game-high 38 points. He shot 12 of 21 from the field and 7 of 12 from 3-point range while adding five rebounds, three assists and five steals.
For much of the afternoon, George's shooting carried Boston to a commanding lead. The Pistons looked down and out at home as the Celtics opened a 72-50 third-quarter lead, building what appeared to be a comfortable cushion. It looked like the kind of statement win that could define the start of the NBA season for Boston's new-look roster.
The 23-0 Collapse
Everything changed in the fourth quarter. Sparked by Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green off the bench, the Pistons caught fire from 3-point range and reeled off a 23-0 fourth-quarter run to turn a 99-89 deficit into a 112-99 lead. Derrick White finally ended the 23-0 run for the Pistons with a floater, but the damage had already been done.
Tatum's Rough Shooting Night
While George shined, fellow star Jayson Tatum had the opposite experience against Detroit's defense. Tatum struggled against Detroit's stingy defense, finishing with 13 points and 11 assists while shooting just 6 of 23 from the field and missing all seven of his 3-point attempts. He scored just two points after halftime after posting 11 in the first half. Still, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren added 22 points each for Detroit, with Cunningham notching eight assists and Duren tallying nine boards.
Detroit's Bench Heroes
Detroit's comeback was highlighted by a combined 40-point outburst from Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green off the bench, who combined for 40 points and 10 three-pointers. Robinson scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter alone as Detroit reeled off its unanswered scoring burst. Green came off the bench to score 19 points in 18 minutes, while Ausar Thompson supplied 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
Mazzulla Faces Questions After the Collapse
The blown lead immediately raised concerns about Boston's defensive effort down the stretch. The Celtics allowed the Pistons to score 76 points in the second half of the defeat, and head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed his team's defensive effort afterward. It echoed a pattern from the Celtics' matchups against Detroit last season — whenever Boston lost focus for even a moment, the Pistons were there to capitalize.
The loss also carries extra weight given Detroit's recent standing in the conference. Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham scored 22 points apiece for a Pistons team that had an Eastern Conference-best 60 wins last season. Detroit's first eight games of the new season are all scheduled against Eastern Conference opponents, meaning the Pistons' statement win could carry significant early-season weight in the standings race.
What Comes Next
Boston doesn't have long to regroup. After Tuesday's game, the Celtics return home to prepare for Friday's home opener against the Knicks. That matchup will be an early measuring stick for a Boston team still searching for defensive consistency in the early going, and it arrives amid a packed slate of NBA opening night storylines across the league, including the much-discussed debut of LeBron James in Philadelphia.
For now, the takeaway from Little Caesars Arena is a split one for Boston: a franchise-record debut from its prized offseason addition, undercut by a second-half collapse that revealed real issues on the other end of the floor. George's shooting show offered a glimpse of the ceiling for this roster, but the 23-0 meltdown is the kind of result that will linger until the Celtics prove it was an aberration rather than a trend.