Celtics vs. Pistons Recap: Detroit Rallies From 22 Down to Win 121-113

The Pistons beat the Celtics 121-113 on opening night after trailing by 22 in the third quarter. Boston led 72-50 at 8:32 of the third, and Detroit outscored Boston 71-41 from there. The Pistons were still down 88-82 after three, then won the fourth quarter 39-25. Javonte Green's 23-foot jumper at 6:41 of the fourth put Detroit ahead 101-99, and Boston never led again. Three DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game.

What cashed

ALT: Pistons +5.5 (-176 DraftKings / -182 FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: The main line was Detroit +1.5 at home, so +5.5 only lost if Boston won by 6 or more. Detroit covered +5.5 in 8 of its last 8 home games last season, and Boston opened with a reshuffled roster. - What happened: Detroit won outright by 8, clearing the number by 13.5. Midway through the third this one looked rough, with the Celtics up 22. Green, off the bench, scored 19 on 5-of-8 from three and finished +21. - Worth watching: A home team getting points in an opener is the kind of spot where buying a few extra points makes sense. The extra points gave room for a slow start, which is exactly what it needed.

ALT: Over 210.5 total points (-295 DraftKings / -265 FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: The main total was 218.5, so this alt bought 8 points. Last season Detroit games cleared 210.5 in 8 of their last 10 and Boston games in 10 of 10, and the two teams' last 10s averaged 228 combined. - What happened: The game finished with 234 total points, 23.5 over the line. Boston scored 58 in the first half, and the teams combined for 64 in the fourth quarter. Both offenses shot 45 percent from the field. - Worth watching: Both teams moved the ball, finishing with 27 and 28 assists. At an alt this far under the main total, the price is steep, so it fits best as a leg rather than a standalone play.

Cade Cunningham 8+ assists (-214 DraftKings / -210 FanDuel): CASHED - Our read: Cade averaged 9.6 assists last regular season and had 8+ in 51 of 67 games. He was not on the injury report, and the Detroit offense runs through him. - What happened: Cunningham finished with exactly 8 assists to go with 22 points and 4 rebounds in 35 minutes. It cleared by the minimum, 0.5 over the 7.5 line. He also had 5 turnovers. - Worth watching: Detroit's shooters hit 15 threes, and Duncan Robinson and Green combined for 10 of them. Cade's assist count leans on those shots falling. His usage is steady, but this one landed on the line, so the number matters.

How the game played out

Paul George led everyone with 38 points on 12-of-21 shooting and 7 threes for Boston. Jayson Tatum had 11 assists but shot 6 of 23. For Detroit, Jalen Duren had 22 points and 9 rebounds, Robinson scored 21 with 5 threes, and Ausar Thompson added 11 points and 11 rebounds. The Pistons went 28 of 32 at the line and won the glass 49-39.

Trends to watch

• Detroit's bench drove the comeback: Green was +21 in 18 minutes and Paul Reed was +12 in 17. Bench roles this early in the season are worth tracking before trusting them on props.
• Duren had 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 9 rebounds. With 14 offensive rebounds as a team, the Pistons' bigs have a real path to boards.
• Tatum took 23 shots and had 11 assists. His assist number is worth a look while George is carrying the scoring.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. Learn more about alt lines and point spreads, or see today's NBA board.