The Celtics had control of their opener, then let it slip in a way that was hard to ignore. The 121-113 loss to Detroit wasn’t just about Jayson Tatum’s rough shooting night. Boston gave the Pistons too many extra chances and too much room to keep hanging around.
John Karalis of Celtics On SI pointed to a stretch of self-inflicted mistakes that helped turn a 22-point lead into a collapse. The damage came from stalled possessions, missed finishes near the rim, turnovers and a pile of fouls that kept Detroit alive.
Joe Mazzulla singled out one habit in particular.
“We fouled a jump shooter three times,” Mazzulla said. “I think Robinson missed one. That’s eight points right there on fouling jump shooters.”
Against a team that was already starting to gain confidence, those kinds of mistakes proved costly. Karalis also noted a handful of avoidable third-quarter fouls that helped the Pistons stay within striking distance before their decisive run in the fourth.
Boston’s issues around the basket showed up at both ends. The Celtics finished 16-of-27 inside five feet, and Tatum was only 2-for-7 on those looks. A few missed opportunities at the rim also left Celtics players out of position, which opened the door for Detroit to attack before Boston could get itself organized.
Karalis also described several possessions where Boston got caught chasing individual matchups instead of keeping the ball moving. That often led to tougher shots late in the clock, and the missed offense spilled over into shaky defense on the other end.
Detroit earned its comeback by pressuring Boston and taking advantage of every opening. But the Celtics’ film session will have plenty of possessions to unpack that had nothing to do with whether Tatum’s jumper was dropping.
Elsewhere around the league, New Orleans’ 25th season is being framed as a chance to expect more from the Pelicans, not just celebrate their survival. David Grubb of Pelicans On SI argued that the franchise should be judged by progress, not nostalgia.
He pointed out that the Pelicans’ 56-win season in 2007-08 remains their only 50-win year, and that their last playoff series win came in 2018. Grubb also said the big crowds from those successful stretches showed the city is ready for competitive basketball.
New coach Jamahl Mosley steps into a 26-win team, and Grubb said reasonable signs of growth would include stronger defense, better spacing on offense and more development from the roster. He also made the case for reconnecting with former Pelicans figures such as Chris Paul, David West, Tyson Chandler and Byron Scott to help deepen the franchise’s connection to its past.
In Phoenix, the big question is how Jalen Green fits next to Devin Booker. Donnie Druin and Brendan Mau both made Green their pick as the player most likely to be traded in Suns On SI’s season preview, though that was presented as a forecast rather than a report that a deal is coming. If Green and Booker click, though, his standing in Phoenix could change quickly.
Both writers also pointed to Collin Gillespie as a real candidate to move into the starting five after he made 58 starts last season. Even with Mark Williams dealing with a shoulder injury and uncertainty at center, Druin still projected 48 wins and Mau went with 46, with both expecting the Suns to finish above the play-in in Jordan Ott’s second year on the job.
In Other News...
Bookers Rough Suns Opener Already Has Fans Fired Up
The Suns did not get the kind of opening night they wanted, with Portland jumping out to a big lead after the first quarter and the early tone of the game turning chippy fast. Devin Booker was right in the middle of it, and so was Ja Morant, whose first game with the Trail Blazers after the trade from Memphis brought plenty of extra attention to a matchup that already had a lot riding on it for Phoenix.
What followed was less about rhythm and more about edge, with multiple on-court confrontations between Booker and Morant that included a physical brush and verbal back-and-forths. The situation escalated enough to bring double technical fouls, and for Suns fans trying to size up what this team looks like in a new season, the night already carried the kind of tension that can linger long after the final buzzer. [Read more 🡒]
Suns Fans Already Have A Brutal New Reason To Hate This Trade
The first night of the season did not give Suns fans much reason for optimism, and Miles Bridges only added to the unease. Acquired in a trade that cost Phoenix an unprotected first-round pick, he managed just eight points on rough shooting in the opening loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, a debut that landed far short of what the team needed from him right away.
For a franchise already under pressure to prove its roster can hold together, the problem is bigger than one bad box score. The deal not only put more attention on how the Suns are building around the current core, it also tied a valuable future draft asset to a performance that left plenty of questions hanging early. [Read more 🡒]
Suns May Be Better But The West Just Got Tougher
The Suns head into the new season with a familiar core and a few additions that should help on both ends of the floor, which gives them a reasonable case for being better than they were a year ago. Continuity matters in the NBA, especially for a team trying to stack wins in a conference where every edge can matter, and Phoenix is banking on its returning pieces settling in quickly.
The problem is the rest of the West did not sit still. Several rivals made major moves, and others are getting key players back from injury, which means the path for Phoenix could be steeper even if the roster itself is improved. For a team with bigger ambitions, the question is not only whether the Suns got better, but whether that will be enough in a conference that suddenly feels even more crowded. [Read more 🡒]