Detroit beat Boston 121–113 at home in its 2026–27 NBA opener on October 21, China Standard Time (UTC+8). The Pistons trailed by 22 in the third and produced a 23–0 run from ten down in the fourth to reverse the score. Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham each scored 22, while Javonte Green's and Duncan Robinson's outside shooting connected the two recoveries.
A third-quarter response before consecutive fourth-quarter scores
Boston led 58–45 at halftime. With 8:32 left in the third, successive Paul George threes extended the lead to 72–50. Detroit did not immediately draw level but scored 37 in the quarter, cutting the deficit to six at 88–82.
Green changed the recovery. He had not played in the first half before coach J.B. Bickerstaff introduced him with 7:26 left in the third and Detroit down 74–53. After missing his first three, he scored eleven through three threes and two free throws in a two-minute burst. He finished with nineteen points and five threes.
The NBA report quoted Bickerstaff saying the team needed a bench spark, with Green's defense, shooting and energy contributing. That substitution first narrowed the gap; the decisive continuous scoring came in the fourth, from 99–89 down at 8:19 to 112–99 ahead at 3:33.
Robinson scored fifteen in the fourth, with nine from threes and six of eight free throws as Boston twice fouled his three-point attempts. He finished with 21 and five threes. Cunningham scored fourteen after halftime, eight in the fourth; Duren also had nine rebounds, with Detroit leading second-chance points 24–16.
George sets a franchise debut scoring record
George scored a game-high 38 in his first official Celtics appearance, shooting twelve of 21 and seven of twelve from three. He surpassed Porziņģis' 30 in his 2023 debut for the franchise record. Seventeen first-half points and fourteen in the third made him a principal source of Boston's large lead.
Tatum had thirteen points and eleven assists but shot six of 23, none of seven from three, and only one of ten after halftime for two points. Coach Joe Mazzulla still encouraged correct decisions and continued shots when open. Neither the debut record nor eleven assists offset the cost of repeated concessions during Detroit's fourth-quarter surge.
Quarter scores
| Team | First quarter | Second quarter | Third quarter | Fourth quarter | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics | 28 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 113 |
| Pistons | 27 | 18 | 37 | 39 | 121 |
INKA SPORTS analysis: The comeback required closing the gap before taking the lead
This was more than a final scoring burst. Green entered in the third and supplied outside firepower to bring 22 back to single figures. In the fourth, Robinson made threes and drew three-shot fouls, while Cunningham added on-ball scoring. The bench first restored the contest, then leading scorers followed, allowing the 23–0 run to change the leader directly.
The quarter scores reflect the shift: Detroit scored only eighteen in the second but 37 and 39 after halftime, while Boston dropped from thirty in the third to 25 in the fourth. Outside makes and free throws increased possession returns, but five threes each for Green and Robinson were this match's realized production, not an every-night guarantee established by one game.
Conclusion
Detroit's opening reward was finding two outside receivers who changed the recovery's rhythm beyond its main scorers. For Boston, George's immediate contribution was visible in points. The next task is responding to opponents' rotations and shooting changes after taking a lead so an early advantage lasts to the finish.
