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DETROIT — Jalen Duren looked like a heavyweight boxer who had just gone three rounds 45 minutes before the Detroit Pistons faced the Boston Celtics for the NBA’s 2026-27 season opener on Tuesday afternoon. Duren, wearing white cutoffs and black Pistons sweatpants, was already dripping with perspiration as he put in extra work on his driving and pull-up mid-range shooting with an assistant coach prior to tip-off. The rare 3 p.m. local start time didn’t take away any of the intensity from a meeting between two of the best teams in the Eastern Conference, and it was clear even before jump ball that neither side would be easing into the new season.
It felt like the Celtics landed a knockout punch midway through the third quarter when Paul George ripped the nets for another three-pointer to put Boston up 22 points. The Pistons appeared to have the same structural problems that tanked a 60-win team in the playoffs last season: not enough shooting or creation next to star Cade Cunningham, and too many lineups that lacked two-way balance. That’s when Detroit subbed Javonte Green into the game for the first time, and immediately flipped the switch.
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The Pistons beat the Celtics, 121-113, for the biggest opening night comeback in league history. Detroit was fueled by a 23-0 fourth quarter run where its defense held the Celtics scoreless for five minutes in crunch time.
“I think the comeback just embodied the culture and what we’re trying to build here,” Duren said after the win. “We’re a team that’s known to be gritty, known to get it out the mud, known to never quit.”
Duren needed to get off to a good start after missing the first week of training camp with a lingering contract dispute that caused hurt feelings on both sides. That storyline can be put to rest now after he finished with 22 points and nine rebounds on 8-of-13 shooting, an excellent performance that almost felt quiet in real time because of how he accumulated his numbers. Everything was in the flow of the offense on lobs, putbacks, and dunker’s spot finishes, and his best work might not have even showed up in the box score.
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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/pistons-pulled-off-nba-biggest-162810758.html
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Publish date : 2026-10-21 16:28:00
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