A 3 p.m. tipoff – the earliest start to an NBA season opener ever – cast an air of uncertainty in the weeks and days leading up to the Detroit Pistons' home game against the Boston Celtics.
But several things became clear by the end of their 121-113 win over the Celtics.
The atmosphere was loud and playoff-like. Fans filled Little Caesars Arena and displayed their anticipation and excitement for a squad coming off of a 60-win season and playoff run. The cheers were loud, the energy was palpable. The Opening Day vibes were strong and the Pistons held up their end, delivering a vintage defensive performance and showed enough offensive production to suggest that there's more growth ahead.
Despite an offseason that lacked the excitement of some of their
competitors in the East, they put on a performance that suggested they still might be the team to beat during the regular season.
It was a game of runs, and the Pistons prevailed. A 31-13 run in the third quarter erased a 22-point deficit and got them back in it, and a 23-0 run in the fourth quarter shut the door on the Celtics. Everyone in the rotation contributed, from the stars at the top to Javonte Green, who changed the flow and outcome of the game after checking in the first time during the third quarter.
The Pistons are 1-0, and they look primed and ready to pick up where they left off from last season.
"It’s just who we are," coach J.B. Bickerstaff said after the win. "These guys are relentless. They never say die. Long as there’s time on the clock they know that they can win. It talks to the resolve of the group, but again how connected the group is. In those moments you can very easily fracture and everyone can try to do their own thing. But when we find ourselves in those moments our guys come together even more and that’s what makes us such a hard out."
It was a Pistons performance that reaffirmed their identity. They trailed 72-50 at the 8:35 mark of the third quarter following a poor second quarter, during which they were outscored 30-18 while shooting 27.3% overall and allowing Boston to shoot 50% overall. Paul George, who had a vintage performance with 38 points, knocked down 3-pointer after 3-pointer.
Green's play on both ends flipped the momentum. On defense, he picked up George and limited the veteran superstar to 2-for-7 shooting in the fourth quarter. On offense, he knocked down three 3-pointers during their 31-13 third-quarter run, and two more in the fourth – including the 3-pointer that capped a 23-0 run and gave them their biggest lead of the day, 112-99, with 3:33 remaining.
Depth was one of the team's biggest strengths last season, and it'll be a strength once again this year. Duncan Robinson also stepped up, scoring 15 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter. As a team, the Pistons held the Celtics to 38.5% in the fourth quarter. Their defense, combined with Robinson and Green's 3-point shooting, flipped the game in their favor. The duo combined to shoot 9-for-13 from deep in the second half, after the Pistons shot 4-for-18 as a team in the first.
"It stems from last year as well, just how deep we are," Green said. "It can be anybody on any night. But staying ready and just shooting the ball with confidence and then also having the trust my teammates have in me to make that pass and certainly to make shots."
The lead guys fulfilled their roles, also. Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren each scored 22 points, with Cunningham adding eight assists and Duren nabbing nine rebounds. Ausar Thompson finished with a double-double – 11 points, 11 rebounds – and led the charge defensively. He took turns on just about everyone on Boston's side including Jayson Tatum, who was held to two points in the second half and 13 points for the night, shooting 6-for-23 overall.
It appeared the game might get away from the Pistons, down 22 with less than a half left. According to NBA Communications, their 22-point comeback is the biggest opening night comeback in the play-by-play era. It was an early test for a squad with championship aspirations, and the tests will keep coming this week.
On Thursday, they'll fly to Miami for a three-game road trip against the Heat, Philadelphia 76ers and defending champion New York Knicks – three teams expected to be firmly in the contending mix. The Pistons never panicked on Tuesday, and they'll carry that mindset with them.
"Not at all because we know who we are," Duren said on the team's mindset down 22 points. "We’re not the team to hang our heads. A lot of guys are new here, but we’ve seen the bottom so we’re not afraid of it. We fight, man. That’s the identity of our team.
"We built everything we’ve had so far off of being gritty, being dogs and just attacking everybody that comes in front of us. I’ll never say we were scared or worried or anything. We knew that we had to pick it up and play our brand of basketball to get back in it, and that’s what we did."
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on X and/or Bluesky.
Next up: Heat
Matchup: Pistons (1-0) at Miami (0-0).
Tipoff: 8 p.m. Friday, Oct. 23; Kaseya Center, Miami.
TV/radio: TV20 Detroit; WXYT-FM (97.1).
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Opening Day was an early test for the Detroit Pistons. They passed it
