Detroit — The Boston Celtics squandered a 22-point lead in their second-half collapse against the Detroit Pistons. They didn't lose once last season when up by at least 20.
The hosts pulled off the largest comeback on the first day of an NBA season in the play-by-play era, which dates back to 1997-98, per Marc Stein of The Stein Line. They outscored the Celtics 76-55 in the final two frames.
"It was one of those games where there was a bunch of different types of momentum runs," said Joe Mazzulla after Boston's 121-113 loss. "We controlled those types of runs in the first half, middle of the third quarter, and then they had two big ones that we just couldn't get out of, and that's kind of what we'll focus on."
Inside the Celtics' collapse vs. the Pistons
From the 6:30 mark in the third quarter until the final buzzer blew, Boston's offense inflicted considerable pain on its defense. During that span, the visitors shot 37.1 percent from the field. That included going 5/16 [31.3 percent] from beyond the arc.
Issues were popping up from all angles. They didn't convert on quality looks, went stretches without a paint touch, and there were minimal examples of inside-out basketball to create quality, in-rhythm 3s.
Joe Mazzulla tried cycling through lineups, but the five on the floor consistently struggled to form a cohesive unit. Another issue plaguing them was missed layups. Six attempts at the rim were either off the mark or got blocked. Also, there was a failed alley-oop to Mitchell Robinson in that stretch.
Those misses, the inability to capitalize on cross-matches, and the overall stagnation undermined Boston's defense. Five second-half turnovers didn't help either.
"The game is connected," said Derrick White after the game. "Any time you have live-ball turnovers, or you get stagnant on one end, it gets the crowd going, it gets them going, and that was a big thing on their run."
Celtics' defense craters in loss to Pistons
Stuck in a cycle they couldn't halt, Boston's defense made too many mental mistakes. The team that yielded the fewest points per game last season wasn't staying attached to shooters.
The Pistons had more spacing and three-point threats on the floor in the second half. Javonte Green was a game-changer. He went from not playing in the first 24 minutes to knocking down 5/8 3s. His 19 points after halftime were a team high. Duncan Robinson shot 4/5 from beyond the arc after the intermission. He scored 18 of his 21 points after the break.
Beyond that, the Celtics gave up paths to the rim as Cade Cunningham attacked off screens. Their defensive shell collapsed. Instances like Paul Reed drawing two defenders led to a good look at a corner 3 for Green.
Hugo Gonzalez got cross-matched with Reed, again leading to Green burying a shot from beyond the arc. The latter also capitalized on an open look in transition.
There was a missed 3 by Jayson Tatum that resulted in him getting cross-matched onto Jalen Duren. Detroit's center posted him up. Ausar Thompson lofted the ball to him from beyond half court. Duren finished a layup through soft contact from Boston's star forward. Later, Tatum missed a layup, leaving him behind the play. That netted Green another open 3. Not converting at the rim is a killer. Credit to the Pistons: It felt as if every mistake got punished.
The Pistons beat the Celtics in the game within the game
Boston typically wins the battle on the margins. That wasn't the case in its season opener. Two areas that stood out: After the 6:30 mark in the third quarter, Detroit had a 22-9 advantage in free-throw attempts. The hosts produced 14 more points at the line in that duration.
In the win, the Pistons turned 14 offensive rebounds into a 24-16 edge in second-chance points. They also outscored the Celtics by 10 in the paint, 44-34.
Once they caught fire, they drilled 54.8 percent of their field goal attempts. They shot 60 percent from beyond the arc, making 9/15 3s, and controlled the game.
And while the Celtics mostly committed dead-ball turnovers in the second half, their live-ball ones, like Luka Garza having it knocked out of his hands after his initial read didn't get open, led to points at the other end. In this case, it was, you guessed it, a 3 from Green. That third-period play was a turning point.
"We got up big, and I think at that point, I think continuing to figure out one another," said George post-game. "Doing the things that I thought -- it was just enough room to give them life: the extra rebounds, getting quality shots, taking care of the ball, just little stuff I think we'll clean up."
How can the Celtics counter runs better?
Joe Mazzulla said that what he'll highlight to his team are the empty offensive possessions that led to transition points. Those misses at the basket, a poor rim read, and missed reads in general will also be part of Boston's film study. The same goes for attention to detail and mental mistakes, like fouling shooters.
And when it comes to combating Detroit's ball pressure and curing a stagnant offense, Tatum conveyed, "I would honestly say it probably starts on defense. A couple [of] times, we gave up an offensive rebound, they were scoring, we were fouling, that slows the game down."
It was only game 1. And the Celtics started 0-3 last year before finishing with 56 wins. However, life moves fast in the NBA. Friday's home opener against the New York Knicks, the league's reigning champions, is a test. It's a chance to see how much they can remedy from what fed into their loss in the Motor City.
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