NBA Opening Night: Detroit Pistons Rally Past Boston Celtics, 121-113

Updated October 21, 2026.

NBA opening-night recap: The Detroit Pistons opened the 2026-27 regular season with a 121-113 comeback win over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday, October 20. Detroit erased a 22-point deficit at Little Caesars Arena, turning the league’s first game of the season into an eight-point home victory. The matchup was scheduled for a 3:00 p.m. tip in Detroit, and it was the first game in the NBA’s NBC and Peacock opening-day tripleheader.

Detroit Pistons vs. Boston Celtics: game details

The NBA’s 2026-27 schedule release lists Boston at Detroit at 3 p.m. ET as the first game of its American Express NBA Tip-Off tripleheader and names NBC and Peacock as the national broadcast and streaming partners. Ticketmaster’s Detroit Pistons event listing identifies the October 20 home opener at Little Caesars Arena.

Detroit was observing Eastern Daylight Time on October 20. Under the U.S. daylight-saving schedule, the fall clock change did not occur until November 1, 2026; therefore, the scheduled 3:00 p.m. Detroit start converts to 19:00 UTC on the same date. The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s daylight-saving guidance explains the U.S. timing rule. The time in this table is the scheduled tipoff, not the date or time this recap was updated.

Availability report before tipoff

The NBA’s 2:00 p.m. ET injury report for the game listed Boston’s Devin Carter as out with an illness. Detroit’s report listed Elijah Harkless, Isaac Jones, and Ugonna Onyenso as out with G League/two-way designations, and Taurean Prince as out for personal reasons. Those entries describe the published availability status at report time; the report does not label these absences as suspensions. The NBA’s official October 20 injury report is the source for those pregame statuses.

How Detroit came back from 22 points down

Boston controlled the first half and took a 58-45 lead into the break. The Celtics stretched their advantage to as many as 22 points in the third quarter, putting Detroit in a deep hole before the Pistons found their rhythm. Detroit won the third quarter 37-30, trimming the margin to six points, 88-82, entering the fourth.

The game shifted as the Pistons created better looks from the perimeter and attacked the paint. Detroit took a 107-99 lead with 5:10 remaining, its largest advantage of the night. Boston responded with an 11-2 push and cut the score to 114-110 with 1:06 left, but the Pistons held on to finish the rally. The NBA’s opening-night live coverage records the comeback sequence and describes it as the largest opening-day comeback in 30 years.

Detroit’s rebounding helped sustain the turnaround. The Pistons finished with a 59-45 edge on the boards and outscored Boston 44-34 in the paint. They also made 11 of 22 three-point attempts in the second half, a 50% rate that gave their offense more room to operate after the Celtics had held them to a difficult first-half shooting stretch.

Standout performances

• Duncan Robinson scored 21 points for Detroit, with 15 coming in the fourth quarter.
• Javonte Green added 19 second-half points as the Pistons clawed back into the game.
• Paul George led Boston with 38 points in his Celtics debut.
• Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points and 11 assists for the Celtics.

Robinson’s fourth-quarter scoring and Green’s second-half production supplied a major part of Detroit’s comeback. George’s 38-point performance kept Boston in front for much of the afternoon, but the Celtics could not protect their lead late. The NBA’s recap also notes that Boston had been the last team to overcome a deficit of at least 20 points on opening day, doing so in 1997 against the eventual champion Chicago Bulls.

Where to watch the game now

The live national telecast was on NBC and Peacock as the opening broadcast of the 2026-27 season’s tripleheader. Because the game has concluded, the original schedule confirms where it aired, not whether a full replay is currently available in every market or subscription. For the final score, box score, game charts, and play-by-play, use the official NBA game page. Viewers checking live NBA broadcasts in other countries can use the league’s Tap To Watch guide, which directs fans to the available telecast and notes that access may depend on a subscription or TV package.

Opening night sets the first result on the standings page, but one game does not determine the rest of the season. Detroit starts its 2026-27 campaign with a home win; Boston leaves Detroit with a loss after a promising first half and a difficult finish. The verified score, venue, scheduled start, and original broadcast details are now reflected above, while the NBA game page remains the best place to consult the official game record.