Paul George scores 38 in Celtics debut, but Pistons rally from 22 down to win 121-113

A debut built on George's scoring

Paul George scored 38 points in his first game for the Boston Celtics, the most by any Celtics player on debut. Boston acquired him in a summer trade that sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, and George also made seven three-pointers in the 121-113 loss to Detroit. Jayson Tatum called George's play unbelievable, pointing to his confidence and his defence.

George rejected the idea that a moral victory could soften the defeat. He still pointed to his return from years of injuries as a source of pride.

For me personally, just the journey to get here, a lot to be proud of.

Detroit's 23-0 fourth-quarter run

Detroit, which led the Eastern Conference with 60 wins last season, opened this season at Little Caesars Arena on Tuesday, 20 October. Boston led 58-45 at halftime and pushed its biggest lead to 72-50 early in the third quarter, after George hit three three-pointers in 52 seconds. Javonte Green came off the bench to slow George, then scored 11 points in that quarter, including three three-pointers. Duncan Robinson scored 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter, and his 11 straight points pulled Detroit within one at 99-98. Green's three-pointer extended the run to 23-0 and put the Pistons ahead 112-99 with 3:33 left. Boston rallied to within four, but Green made two free throws with 6.7 seconds remaining to secure the win.

Boston's second-half lapses

Joe Mazzulla said the Celtics stopped crashing the offensive glass as hard in the second half, and that empty offensive possessions led to breakdowns at the other end. Mitchell Robinson and Neemias Queta grabbed only two offensive rebounds between them over 40 minutes, a problem against Detroit's physical front line. Mitchell Robinson started ahead of Queta, who came off the bench and finished with 3 points and 4 rebounds. Queta re-signed with Boston last summer on a four-year deal through 2030-31 worth $56 million.

Individual scoring

Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren each scored 22 points for Detroit, and Duren added nine rebounds. Duncan Robinson finished with 21 points and five three-pointers, while Javonte Green added 19 off the bench. Ausar Thompson posted 11 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. For Boston, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White scored 17 points apiece, and Tatum's 13 points came on six-for-23 shooting.

What comes next

Boston has a few days of rest before hosting the New York Knicks, the defending champions, at TD Garden. The early stage of the season gives the Celtics time to address rebounding, turnovers and offensive possessions. The win returned Detroit to the top of the Eastern Conference, the place where it finished last season. The Celtics' next test is a home game against a Knicks side that opens its season against the same tough schedule.