NBA season tips off as Detroit stage epic 22-point comeback to defeat Celtics
Detriot Pistons staged an epic 23-0 run in the fourth quarter as they overcame a 22-point deficit - the largest come-from-behind win against the Boston Celtics in the last 30 seasons - to seal a stunning 121-113 win.
Key points
- Detroit Pistons beat the Boston Celtics 121-113 after trailing by 22 points.
- Javonte Green scored 19 points after not playing in the first half.
- Paul George scored 38 points in his first game for Boston.
The Detroit Pistons opened the NBA season with a 121-113 win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, coming back from a 22-point deficit. A 23-0 run in the fourth quarter sealed the comeback, which the report describes as the largest against Boston in the last 30 seasons.
Javonte Green scored 19 points after not playing in the first half, and Cade Cunningham finished with 22 points and eight assists. Jalen Duren had 22 points and nine rebounds, Duncan Robinson scored 21 and Ausar Thompson added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
George shines in Boston debut
Paul George scored 38 points, the most by a Celtic in his debut. The nine-time All-Star, in his 17th season, was playing his first game for Boston since the team acquired him from Philadelphia for 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.
Jayson Tatum missed 17 of 23 shots and finished with 13 points and 11 assists. Boston's Derrick White and Payton Pritchard scored 17 points apiece.
Detriot Pistons staged an epic 23-0 run in the fourth quarter
— Sky Sports
How Detroit turned it around
Boston took its biggest lead early in the third quarter at 72-50 after George made three 3-pointers in less than a minute. Detroit cut the deficit to six by the end of the third and moved ahead in the fourth.
Green made a go-ahead 3, Duren added a three-point play and Robinson hit a 3 to put the Pistons up 107-99 with 5:10 left. Green's fifth 3-pointer gave Detroit a 13-point lead with 3:33 remaining.
