We Speak NBA
Pistons Erase 22-Point Deficit in Record Opening Day Comeback, Beat Celtics 121-113
Detroit’s 23-0 fourth-quarter run completed the largest comeback on the first day of an NBA season in the play-by-play era.
The Detroit Pistons opened the 2026-27 NBA season with a comeback for the record books on Tuesday, rallying from 22 points down to beat the Boston Celtics 121-113 at Little Caesars Arena.
Boston controlled the game early, leading 58-45 at halftime. Paul George, making his Celtics debut, hit three 3-pointers in a 52-second span early in the third quarter to stretch the lead to 72-50. George finished with a game-high 38 points, the most ever scored by a Celtic in his debut.
Detroit flipped the game in the fourth quarter. Trailing 99-89 with 8:19 left, the Pistons ripped off 23 straight points to take a 112-99 lead with 3:33 to go. Duncan Robinson scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth, and Javonte Green — who did not play in the first half — added 19 points off the bench.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren scored 22 points apiece for Detroit. Cunningham added eight assists, Duren grabbed nine rebounds, and Ausar Thompson finished with 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists.
The 22-point rally is the largest comeback on the first day of an NBA season in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98), according to NBA Communications. For Boston, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White scored 17 points apiece, while Jayson Tatum was held to 13 points on 6-of-23 shooting and handed out 11 assists.
Up next: The Celtics host the New York Knicks on Friday. The Pistons visit the Miami Heat on Friday.
We Speak NBA
NBA Fines Paul George $2,000 for Flopping in Celtics Debut Loss to Pistons
The NBA fined Boston Celtics star Paul George $2,000 for flopping during the Celtics’ 121-113 season-opening loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night, the league announced Wednesday.
“BOS’s Paul George was assessed a postgame Flopping fine of $2,000 upon league office review,” the NBA said in its announcement. The play under review came with about three minutes remaining in regulation, when George bumped Pistons guard Duncan Robinson in transition and went down hard despite light contact.
The penalty adds an unusual footnote to an otherwise historic debut. George scored 38 points in his first regular-season game with Boston, setting a franchise record for points scored in a Celtics debut. He shot 12-of-21 from the field and 7-of-12 from three-point range, adding five rebounds, three assists and five steals. He became just the sixth player in NBA history to record at least 38 points, five rebounds, five steals and seven made three-pointers in a single game.
George’s big night was spoiled by Boston’s collapse. The Celtics led Detroit by as many as 22 points before the Pistons stormed back with a 28-3 fourth-quarter surge to win 121-113. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren scored 22 points apiece for Detroit, while Duncan Robinson scored 21, including 15 in the fourth quarter.
George joined the Celtics this offseason in a trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. Under the NBA’s flopping rules, the league office can assess penalties after reviewing game footage even when officials do not call a violation during the game, with fines escalating for repeat offenders. The $2,000 fine does not include a suspension and does not affect George’s availability for Boston’s next game.
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