Pistons Beat Celtics 121-113 Despite Paul George’s 38 Points

Detroit had enough scoring firepower to withstand Paul George’s big night. The Pistons defeated the Boston Celtics 121-113 at Little Caesars Arena on October 20, 2026, moving to 1-0 while Boston started 0-1. Jalen Duren and Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 22 points each, with Duncan Robinson and Javonte Green supplying sharp shooting from beyond the arc.

Duren shot 8-for-13 from the field and collected nine rebounds in 28 minutes. Cunningham added eight assists and four rebounds to his 22 points, shooting 8-for-18. Robinson delivered 21 points and went 5-for-9 from deep, while Green scored 19 in just 18 minutes. Green hit five of his eight 3-point attempts and finished with a plus-21 rating, giving Detroit another highly productive scoring option.

George powered Boston with 38 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including a blistering 7-for-12 mark from 3-point range. He also recorded five rebounds, three assists and five steals in 31 minutes, finishing plus-nine. It was a standout individual performance, but the Celtics could not turn it into a victory.

Derrick White and Payton Pritchard each contributed 17 points for Boston, with White also handing out eight assists. Jayson Tatum supplied 11 assists but struggled to find his shot, scoring 13 points on 6-for-23 shooting and missing all seven of his 3-point attempts. Detroit’s four featured scorers each reached at least 19 points, providing the broad offensive production that Boston could not overcome.