By Tiffany Williams –
The Boston Celtics open their 2026–27 season Tuesday against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena, looking to carry an unbeaten preseason into a matchup that gave them trouble last year. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Eastern, with Boston beginning a new season around Jayson Tatum, an established returning core and offseason additions Paul George, Mitchell Robinson and Mike Conley Jr.
Boston finished its four-game preseason without a loss, averaging 126.8 points and 31.5 assists while holding opponents to 108 points per game. Those performances offered encouraging signs of scoring depth, defensive activity and an ability to create additional possessions. Detroit, however, presents an immediate test of whether those strengths will hold up once the regular season begins.
The Pistons won three of the teams’ four meetings last season, including both games in Detroit. Their most recent matchup ended in a 104–103 Boston loss, and the Celtics enter Tuesday having dropped three consecutive road games against the Pistons. Boston’s lone victory in last season’s series was a 117–114 decision at TD Garden, underscoring how important execution could become if this opener remains close late.
Containing Cade Cunningham will be central to Boston’s defensive assignment. Cunningham scored 42 points in Detroit’s November loss in Boston, followed with 32 points and 10 assists in a December victory, and delivered 14 assists in the teams’ January meeting. The Celtics must limit his ability to create opportunities for teammates while keeping him from settling into a scoring rhythm. Overcommitting to either responsibility could give Detroit an opening.
Derrick White enters the season as an important part of that effort after earning All-Defensive First Team recognition last season. He averaged 16 points and 2.5 steals across two preseason appearances, including a 17-point, four-steal performance against Charlotte. White’s ability to pressure the ball and disrupt possessions will matter against a Detroit team that averaged 118.5 points during the preseason.
The rebounding battle deserves equal attention, particularly with Jalen Duren having collected 18 and 16 rebounds in two of last season’s meetings. Robinson gives Boston another interior option alongside Neemias Queta and Luka Garza, and his final preseason appearance provided a glimpse of what he can contribute: 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting, seven rebounds and three blocks against Charlotte. Boston averaged 26 second-chance points during the preseason while allowing just 7.5, an advantage that would be especially valuable against Detroit.
Tatum remains the centerpiece of Boston’s offense after averaging 21 points, 6.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in two preseason games. He scored 23 against Philadelphia and followed with 19 points, eight rebounds and six assists against Charlotte. His ability to score while moving the ball will help determine whether the Celtics can sustain the balanced offense they showed during the exhibition schedule.
George’s integration is another major storyline as Boston begins the regular season. He shot 5-for-20 across his two preseason appearances, but contributed 11 rebounds, eight assists and seven steals, including five steals against Philadelphia. That combination shows how he can influence games while his shooting develops, although Boston will look for greater offensive efficiency as he settles into his role.
Payton Pritchard provides another source of scoring and playmaking after signing a contract extension on Oct. 17. He scored 25 points and made five 3-pointers in Boston’s 144–106 preseason victory over Philadelphia, then delivered 11 assists without a turnover against Charlotte. With Detroit averaging a league-leading 14.75 steals during the preseason, Boston’s guards will need to balance aggressive ball movement with careful decisions.
Hugo Gonzalez and Garza also enter the opener following productive exhibition schedules. Gonzalez averaged 14.5 points, shot 63.3 percent from the field and made 11 of his 20 attempts from beyond the arc. Garza averaged 14.3 points and six rebounds, giving Boston additional scoring and rebounding from its frontcourt. Their contributions helped demonstrate that the Celtics could generate offense beyond their established starters.
That depth was particularly evident in Boston’s preseason finale, a 125–120 overtime victory at Philadelphia with the regular starters resting. Gonzalez scored 21 points, Ron Harper Jr. added 16, and Boston’s reserves outscored Philadelphia’s bench 77–36. The Celtics erased a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit and held the 76ers to five points in overtime, finishing the preseason with a comeback that required both offensive production and defensive stops.
Boston now begins the season following a 56-win campaign in which it allowed an NBA-low 107.1 points per game and Joe Mazzulla earned Coach of the Year honors. Tuesday’s challenge is to establish that defensive standard while incorporating new personnel against an opponent that repeatedly found ways to beat the Celtics last season. Controlling Cunningham’s creation, finishing possessions against Duren and protecting the basketball would give Boston a strong foundation for an opening victory before Friday’s home matchup with the Knicks.
