Pistons erase a 22-point hole and spoil Paul George's 38-point Celtics debut
Boston led big early in the third quarter in Detroit, then was outscored 76-55 after halftime. The home opener against the Knicks is Friday.
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Paul George could hardly have scripted a better first night in green. The rest of the Celtics' season opener got away from them.
The Detroit Pistons rallied from 22 points down to beat Boston 121-113 on Tuesday afternoon at Little Caesars Arena.
How it slipped away
George hit three 3-pointers in less than a minute early in the third quarter to push Boston's lead to 22, NBC Sports Boston reported. Detroit then outscored the Celtics 76-55 after halftime, including 39-25 in the fourth quarter, when a long Pistons run turned the game.
George finished with 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting, 7 of 12 from 3-point range, plus five steals. It was the most points by a player in a Celtics debut, according to NBC Sports Boston and Boston.com.
Jayson Tatum had 13 points and 11 assists but shot 6 of 23 and missed all seven of his 3-point tries. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard each scored 17.
For Detroit, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren had 22 points apiece, Duncan Robinson added 21 and Javonte Green scored 19 off the bench.
Box score
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Celtics | 28 | 30 | 30 | 25 | 113 |
| Pistons | 27 | 18 | 37 | 39 | 121 |
Source: Sports Illustrated scoreboard
Up next
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Oct. 23 | New York Knicks (home opener) | 7 p.m. |
| Mon., Oct. 26 | Chicago Bulls | 7:30 p.m. |
| Tue., Oct. 27 | Brooklyn Nets | 7:30 p.m. |
Source: Boston.com
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