Paul George made history in his Boston Celtics debut Tuesday afternoon, but the Detroit Pistons made sure his record-breaking performance ended in disappointment. Despite George exploding for 38 points, Detroit erased a 22-point deficit and used an incredible 23-0 fourth-quarter run to stun Boston 121-113 in its season opener.
George was nearly unstoppable for much of the game, shooting 12-of-21 from the field and 7-of-12 from three-point range. His 38 points established a Celtics franchise record for the most points scored by a player in his team debut.
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Paul George Breaks Celtics Franchise Record
George made history with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter when he converted a three-point play to reach 31 points, surpassing Kristaps Porzingis’ previous Celtics debut record of 30 set in 2023. He eventually finished with 38 points, five rebounds, three assists, and five steals.
“Paul George has set the franchise record for points in a Celtic debut. 31 and counting,” Justin Turpin reported as George reached the milestone.
But while George was busy making history, the Pistons were preparing to steal the show. Detroit entered the fourth quarter trailing 88-82 after falling behind by as many as 22 points in the third.
Javonte Green Helps Shut Down George During Pistons Comeback
With 7:07 remaining in the fourth quarter, George checked back into the game, and Detroit responded by bringing Javonte Green onto the floor. What happened next helped change the outcome.
George missed his next four field-goal attempts, with Green serving as his primary defender on three of those shots. The misses came during Detroit’s remarkable 23-0 fourth-quarter run, which completely flipped the game.
Green also delivered offensively, scoring 19 points while knocking down five three-pointers. He finished with a game-high plus-21 rating in just 18 minutes off the bench.
Meanwhile, Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren each scored 22 points, while Duncan Robinson added 21. As we previously highlighted, Duren had already shown promising offensive growth during the preseason.
According to the official game box score, George’s historic performance wasn’t enough to prevent Boston’s collapse. The Celtics were outscored 39-25 in the fourth quarter as Detroit completed its incredible comeback.
Paul George made Celtics history, but Javonte Green and the Pistons had the last laugh. After trailing by 22 points, Detroit opened the 2026-27 season with a victory that won’t soon be forgotten.