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Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics hoped to kick off their 2026-27 NBA campaign with a road win against the Detroit Pistons. Instead, Boston suffered a disappointing 121-113 defeat despite a spectacular Celtics debut from Paul George, who finished with 38 points, five rebounds and seven three-pointers. The Celtics built a 22-point lead in the third quarter but watched it disappear as Detroit mounted a remarkable comeback at Little Caesars Arena.
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Jayson Tatum struggled against Detroit. He finished with 13 points, shooting just 6-of-23 from the field and missing all seven of his three-point attempts. He did, however, record 11 assists.
Following the loss, Mazzulla addressed reporters and explained what went wrong as Boston surrendered control of a game it had largely dominated through the first three quarters.
“I think some of our empty offensive possessions led to their transition,” Mazzulla said (h/t Jay King of The Athletic).
Joe Mazzulla: I think some of our empty offensive possessions led to their transition.
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— Jay King (@ByJayKing) October 20, 2026
Boston’s collapse became particularly costly during the fourth quarter. The Celtics missed nine consecutive field-goal attempts during Detroit’s decisive 23-0 run, allowing the Pistons to turn a 10-point deficit into a 13-point advantage. They eventually cut the margin to four, but could not complete the comeback.
Detroit received contributions from several players. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren led the Pistons with 22 points apiece, while Duncan Robinson added 21 points and Javonte Green contributed 19. Robinson and Green combined to make 10 of their 17 three-point attempts, providing crucial scoring during the comeback.
The Celtics will look to respond when they return home to face the New York Knicks on Friday. Mazzulla’s team will need to take better care of its offensive possessions and finish games more effectively to avoid another collapse.
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This story was originally published October 20, 2026 at 3:19 PM.