The Detroit Pistons turned a 22-point deficit into a stunning 121-113 victory over the Boston Celtics in the 2026-27 NBA season opener on October 20, fueled by Javonte Green’s 19 second-half points and a 23-0 fourth-quarter run.
Green, who did not play in the first half, scored 19 points after halftime on 5-of-10 shooting. His energy and production helped ignite a rally that saw Boston’s comfortable lead evaporate in one of the most dramatic comebacks of opening night.
Fourth-Quarter Comeback
The defining stretch came in the fourth quarter, when Detroit unleashed a 23-0 run that completely erased Boston’s advantage and flipped the momentum. The Celtics, who had led 72-50 early in the third quarter, couldn’t recover as the Pistons found their rhythm on both ends of the floor.
Paul George, making his debut in a Celtics uniform, delivered an impressive individual performance with 38 points, the most by a Celtic in his debut. The nine-time All-Star showed he’s still got it in his first game with Boston since the team acquired him from Philadelphia in exchange for 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.
Duncan Robinson scored 21 points on 5-of-9 shooting from 3-point range, while Cade Cunningham finished with 22 points and eight assists for Detroit. Jalen Duren added 22 points and nine rebounds, and Ausar Thompson contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons.
Boston’s Derrick White and Payton Pritchard each scored 17 points. Jayson Tatum, a six-time All-Star playing his first full season since tearing his Achilles tendon in May 2025, had 13 points and 11 assists.
For Detroit, the comeback victory serves as an emphatic statement to open the campaign. Overcoming a deficit of that magnitude against a Celtics team featuring a marquee offseason acquisition demonstrates a squad ready to compete. The Pistons cut their deficit to six points after three quarters before surging ahead in the fourth, with Green’s go-ahead 3-pointer, Duren’s three-point play, and Robinson’s 3-pointer putting Detroit ahead 107-99 with 5:10 remaining.
The victory marks a memorable start to the season for Detroit, while Boston will need to regroup quickly and address the execution issues that allowed the Pistons to erase a 22-point lead on opening night.
