Jayson Tatum scored a game-winning three-pointer in the final second to lift the Boston Celtics past the Brooklyn Nets 125-124 in overtime Tuesday, as the New York Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 111-97 in their opener of the 2026-27 NBA season.
The defending champions faced defeat in their first three outings but got off to a rocky start at Madison Square Garden but managed to avert a sixth straight losing run to become the first back-to-back champs since 1969 to suffer four straight losses to open the following season.
Towns finished with a game-high 27 points and 20 rebounds, while Jalen Brunson scored 23 points and handed out seven assists.
New York built a 13-point lead early in the second quarter after Detroit appeared set to provide even more misery to the Knicks’ beleaguered start. But the Knicks locked down Detroit after that, holding the Pistons to 25 combined points in the second and third quarters.
Brunson knows about the importance of patience, saying: “We got to remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day. This is a new year, new team.”
Paul Reed scored 22 points for the Pistons in a 3-1 season. Cade Cunningham had 19 points, eight assists and nine rebounds to lead the Pistons to 3-1.
Tatum also stepped up for Boston with 40 points and eight assists while burying a shot at the buzzer in overtime to beat Brooklyn.
Paul George, the Celtics moved to 3-1 while the Nets remained the only winless team through four games. Neither team could establish a double-digit lead in regulation as it finished 117-117.
Elsewhere, Victor Wembanyama registered 29 points, 10 rebounds and five blocks as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Sacramento Kings 130-103. Julian Champagnie chipped in with 26 points while Sacramento fell to 0-4.
The Portland Trail Blazers extended their undefeated record to 3-0 with a 136-129 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers.
The results gave New York, Boston and Portland early-season momentum as the NBA season played on.
