Down 22, Then 23 Straight: Pistons Pull Off the Biggest Opening-Day Comeback in NBA History to Stun the Celtics 121-113

The 2026-27 NBA season opened with a game nobody will forget. The Detroit Pistons trailed the Boston Celtics by 22 points in the third quarter on Tuesday afternoon — then ripped off 23 straight points in the fourth quarter to win 121-113 at Little Caesars Arena, completing the largest opening-day comeback in the NBA's play-by-play era.

The Short Version: What Happened

Final score: Detroit Pistons 121, Boston Celtics 113. Boston led 72-50 early in the third quarter after Paul George hit three 3-pointers in 52 seconds. Detroit answered with a 37-point third quarter, then a 23-0 run in the fourth that flipped a 12-point deficit into a 112-99 lead with 3:33 to play. According to NBA Communications, no team in the play-by-play era (since 1997-98) had ever come back from 22 points down to win on the first day of a season.

How a Blowout Became a Classic

For two and a half quarters, this looked like Paul George's coronation. George, making his Celtics debut after arriving from Philadelphia in the trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the 76ers, scored a game-high 38 points — the most ever by a Celtic in his debut — and Boston carried a 58-45 lead into halftime.

Early in the third, George buried three 3-pointers in under a minute to push the lead to 72-50 with 8:35 left in the quarter. Detroit was at home, on national TV, in a rare weekday matinee designed by NBC to turn opening day into an all-day event — and the Pistons were getting run out of their own building.

Then Javonte Green checked in. Green, who did not play in the first half, was sent in to slow George down — and instead lit the fuse. He scored 11 points in the third quarter, including three 3-pointers, as Detroit cut the deficit to six by the start of the fourth.

The 23-0 Run That Broke the Internet

Boston pushed the lead back to 12 early in the fourth, and that is when the game snapped. An Ausar Thompson three-point play started it. Duncan Robinson then scored 11 straight points to pull Detroit within one at 99-98, set up a go-ahead 3-pointer for Green, and hit another 3 with 5:13 left to make it 107-99. Green capped the run with one more 3-pointer for a 112-99 lead with 3:33 remaining.

The NBA's own account posted the full run uncut — 23-0 in under five minutes — and the clip spread instantly. Boston rallied to within four in the final minute, but Green hit two free throws with 6.7 seconds left and Cade Cunningham added two more to close out the 121-113 win.

Key Facts and Numbers

The record: Detroit's 22-point comeback is the largest on the first day of an NBA season in the play-by-play era, per NBA Communications.
Cade Cunningham: 22 points and 8 assists for Detroit.
Jalen Duren: 22 points and 9 rebounds.
Duncan Robinson: 21 points, 5-of-9 from three, with 15 points in the fourth quarter.
Javonte Green: 19 points in 18 minutes off the bench, 5-of-8 from three — after not playing at all in the first half.
Ausar Thompson: 11 points, 11 rebounds and 5 assists.
Paul George: 38 points in his Celtics debut, a franchise record for a debut, on 12-of-21 shooting with five steals.
Jayson Tatum: held to 13 points on 6-of-23 shooting (0-of-7 from three) with 11 assists, in his first full season back after tearing his Achilles tendon in May 2025.
Also for Boston: Derrick White and Payton Pritchard scored 17 points each.

Why It's Blowing Up

Opening day is supposed to be a celebration, not a history lesson — but Detroit delivered both. The comeback combined everything social media loves: a record that stood for 29 years of play-by-play data, a bench player in Green who went from DNP in the first half to hero, a superstar debut on the losing side, and one clean, shareable stat — 23 straight points in under five minutes. It also sends an early message about the Eastern Conference: Detroit, which won an East-best 60 games last season, just beat a contender without playing well for two quarters.

Cunningham summed up the turnaround simply, saying the Pistons did not play their brand of basketball in the first half and had to turn it up after a halftime talk.

What's Next

Detroit (1-0) travels to Miami on Friday. Boston (0-1) hosts the New York Knicks on Friday, where George's debut will quickly be forgotten if the Celtics drop to 0-2 at home. For everyone else, the bar for the rest of opening week has been set absurdly high.

Sources

FAQ

What was the final score of Pistons vs. Celtics on opening day 2026?

The Detroit Pistons beat the Boston Celtics 121-113 on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, at Little Caesars Arena in the first game of the 2026-27 NBA season.

Why is the Pistons' comeback historic?

Detroit came back from 22 points down, which NBA Communications says is the largest comeback on the first day of an NBA season in the play-by-play era, dating back to 1997-98.

Who led the Pistons' comeback?

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren scored 22 points each, Duncan Robinson added 21 with 15 in the fourth quarter, and Javonte Green scored 19 off the bench — including the 3-pointer that capped the decisive 23-0 run.

How did Paul George do in his Celtics debut?

George scored a game-high 38 points — the most by any player in a Celtics debut — but Boston still lost after leading by 22 in the third quarter.