DETROIT — The Detroit Pistons erased a 22-point second-half deficit and used a 23-0 fourth-quarter run to defeat the Boston Celtics 121-113 Tuesday at Little Caesars Arena for their first win of the season.
Boston took its largest lead at 72-50 early in the third quarter before Detroit completely flipped the game, storming back behind its bench and a fourth-quarter surge.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren each scored 22 points for Detroit, with Cunningham adding eight assists and Duren grabbing nine rebounds. Duncan Robinson finished with 21 points and made five 3-pointers, while Ausar Thompson added 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Javonte Green provided perhaps the biggest spark. After not playing in the first half, Green scored 19 points off the bench and helped fuel Detroit’s comeback over the final two quarters.
Paul George scored a game-high 38 points in his Celtics debut, the most points ever scored by a Boston player in his first game with the team. Derrick White and Payton Pritchard added 17 points apiece.
Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points and 11 assists, but struggled from the field, shooting 6-for-23 and missing all seven of his 3-point attempts.
Neither team created much separation early. The game was tied at 13 midway through the opening quarter before Boston carried a 28-27 advantage into the second.
The Celtics began to take control late in the first half. After Detroit tied the game at 39, Boston used a 15-0 run as part of a 19-6 closing stretch to take a 58-45 lead into halftime.
Detroit shot 38.6% from the field and just 22.2% from beyond the arc in the first half, while Boston connected on 48% of its shots and 40% from 3.
George kept the Celtics rolling to begin the third quarter, hitting three 3-pointers in less than a minute as Boston built its 22-point lead.
That was when Detroit began to turn the game around.
The Pistons trimmed the deficit to 77-64 with 5:33 remaining in the third before a 16-4 run brought them within single digits for the first time since the second quarter. Green helped lead the charge as Detroit eventually pulled within three at 85-82.
Detroit outscored Boston 37-30 in the third and entered the fourth trailing just 88-82.
The Celtics appeared to regain control when they pushed their advantage back to 96-84 early in the fourth, but the Pistons responded again. Detroit pulled within 99-95 with 7:34 remaining before taking its first lead since the opening quarter.
Green hit the go-ahead 3-pointer, Duren followed with a three-point play and Robinson connected from deep as Detroit surged ahead 107-99.
The run eventually reached 23-0 as the Pistons turned what had been a double-digit deficit into their largest lead of the afternoon.
Boston finally ended the drought, but Detroit maintained control and pushed its lead to 114-105 with two minutes remaining. The Celtics made one final push to cut the margin to four, but the Pistons held on to complete the season-opening comeback.
Detroit travels to Miami on Friday, while Boston hosts the New York Knicks.