Celtics vs Pistons: Time, TV and Tatum's Return on Opening Night

The Boston Celtics open their season at the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2026, with tipoff at 3:00 p.m. ET at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The game is on NBC, streams on Peacock, and airs on radio on 97.1 FM The Ticket. It opens a three game NBA Tip-Off tripleheader on NBC, with the Philadelphia 76ers at the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the San Antonio Spurs later in the day.

How to watch Celtics vs Pistons

Fans in the United States can watch on NBC or stream the game on Peacock. Tipoff is set for 3:00 p.m. ET, an early start for an opening night game. The Pistons are at home for the opener, so Detroit fans get the first look at a team that finished first in the East last season against a Boston roster that looks very different from a year ago.

Jayson Tatum is set to return

Jayson Tatum carries no injury designation for the opener and is expected to play. He missed most of last season after he tore his Achilles in the 2025 playoffs. No minutes restriction has been reported for Tuesday. RotoWire said Tatum was expected to suit up after he sat out the preseason finale for rest. His return is the main story of the game. Boston built its summer moves around getting Tatum back healthy, and a road game at the top seed from last season is a hard first test.

The injury report is short for both teams. Boston guard Devin Carter is out with an illness. Detroit forward Taurean Prince is questionable for personal reasons. No other starters for either team were listed as out in the reports before tipoff.

Projected starters for both teams

Boston is projected to start Derrick White, Baylor Scheierman, Paul George, Jayson Tatum and Neemias Queta. Detroit is projected to start Cade Cunningham, Duncan Robinson, Ausar Thompson, John Collins and Jalen Duren.

George is a new face in the Boston lineup. Boston traded Jaylen Brown to Philadelphia in July 2026 and brought in Paul George, and the team also signed Mitchell Robinson. Detroit leans on Cunningham to run the offense, with Duren inside and Thompson on defense.

What last season says about this matchup

Detroit went 60-22 last season, finished first in the East and took the top seed. Boston went 56-26 and finished second. The Pistons won the regular season series 3-1. Those numbers explain why Detroit starts the season as the team to beat in the East, even with Tatum back for Boston.

This is a pregame look only. No score or result is known before tipoff, and the test for both teams starts with health and fit. For Detroit, the question is if last season was the start of a long run at the top. For Boston, the question is how fast a changed roster settles around Tatum again. Tuesday afternoon gives the first real answer for both.