Celtics Blow 22-Point Lead as Pistons Win Opener; George Scores 38

The Celtics’ season opener ended in a 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena, as Detroit erased a 22-point second-half deficit with a 23-0 run in the fourth quarter. The collapse overshadowed Paul George’s 38-point debut, the most points ever by a player in his first game as a Celtic, NBC Sports Boston reported.

How the Pistons Erased a 22-Point Lead

Boston led 72-50 with 8:32 left in the third quarter after George hit three straight 3-pointers in under a minute. Detroit cut the gap to six by the end of the period. The Celtics still led 99-89 with 8:19 to play, but the Pistons then scored 23 straight points over about five minutes to go up 112-99 with 3:33 left, according to NBA.com.

Boston was outscored 76-55 after halftime. In the fourth quarter, the Celtics shot 10 of 26 from the field and 3 of 11 from 3-point range.

Paul George Sets a Celtics Debut Record

George, acquired from Philadelphia in the offseason trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the 76ers, finished with 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting, including 7 of 12 from deep, plus five rebounds, three assists and five steals in 31 minutes. His total topped Kristaps Porziņģis’ 30 points in 2023 as the franchise’s best scoring debut. George said afterward that he feels like he is “getting his legs back.”

For a look at the rest of the new-look roster, see our Celtics 2026-27 roster breakdown.

Tatum’s Tough Night and the Box Score

Jayson Tatum, starting what is set to be his first full season since tearing his Achilles tendon in May 2025, scored 13 points on 6-of-23 shooting and missed all seven of his 3-point attempts. He added 11 assists. Tatum said it was “definitely not one of my best games.”

• Derrick White: 17 points (7 of 13) and eight assists.
• Payton Pritchard: 17 points, going 7 of 8 at the line.
• Team shooting: Boston 40 of 88 (45%) and 17 of 42 from 3; Detroit 39 of 86 (45%) and 15 of 40 from 3.
• Rebounds: Detroit won the glass 49-39. Boston centers Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta combined for seven rebounds.
• Turnovers: Boston had 14.

Detroit’s Bench Swings the Game

Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham scored 22 points each for the Pistons. Duren had nine rebounds and Cunningham eight assists. Duncan Robinson scored 21, including 14 in the fourth quarter. Former Celtic Javonte Green, who did not play in the first half, scored 19 points in 18 minutes off the bench, the Associated Press reported.

Mazzulla’s Assessment

Coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to empty possessions on offense. “I think some of our empty offensive possessions led to their transition points, whether it was and-ones, transition threes by Green and Robinson,” he told NESN. He also cited “fouling jump shooters a couple times at the end of quarters” and said Detroit “had two big ones that we just couldn’t get out of, and that’s kind of what we’ll focus on.”

What’s Next: Knicks Home Opener Friday

The Celtics play their home opener against the reigning NBA champion New York Knicks at 7 p.m. ET on Friday, Oct. 23, at TD Garden on Prime Video. Boston then hosts Chicago on Oct. 26 and Brooklyn on Oct. 27, according to the NBA schedule.

Additional Details

• The game was the first of the NBA’s three-game opening-day slate on NBC and Peacock, tipping off at 3 p.m. ET.
• Attendance was 20,178. The officials were Ed Malloy, Kevin Scott and Aaron Smith.
• Boston also lost its 2025-26 opener, 117-116 at home to Philadelphia, then started 0-3 before finishing 56-26.
• Catch up on the rest of the local scene in our Boston sports report.

Featured image: Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. Photo by Michael Barera via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0; cropped.

Sources

• NBC Sports Boston: Celtics-Pistons recap (Oct. 20, 2026)
• NBA.com: 5 takeaways as Pistons use 23-0 run to beat Celtics
• NBA.com: Celtics vs. Pistons game summary and AP recap
• NESN: Joe Mazzulla on the season-opening loss
• NBA.com: Celtics schedule