The Boston Celtics closed the first week of the 2026-27 season with three wins after losing their opener. Boston lost 121-113 at Detroit on Oct. 20 after blowing a 22-point lead, then beat the New York Knicks, the Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets. The run left the Celtics at 3-1, with the last win the most dramatic of the three: a 125-124 overtime win over Brooklyn on Oct. 27, sealed by a Jayson Tatum jumper at the buzzer.
Detroit came back from 22 points down to win. The win over New York was close, 107-103 on Oct. 23. The win over Chicago was a rout, 134-99 on Oct. 26. The win over Brooklyn needed overtime and a final shot.
Boston Celtics lean on Jayson Tatum in week one
The Boston Celtics got their best work in week one from Tatum. Over his last three games, he averaged 33.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 7.0 assists and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.2 percent from the field. He capped that stretch with 40 points against Brooklyn, his best game since returning from his Achilles injury. He also had eight assists and five rebounds in that game, and he made a career-high 18 free throws on 22 attempts.
The Brooklyn game turned late. Boston led for much of the night, but Brooklyn trailed 117-114 late in the fourth quarter before Mikel Brown Jr. made a three-pointer with one second left to send the game to overtime. Tatum then made an elbow jumper as time expired in overtime for the win. The NBA noted that it was his seventh career game-winning shot with under three seconds remaining, the most since the start of the 2019-20 season.
Tatum also leads the Boston Celtics with 32 assists against seven turnovers through four games, one of the best playmaking stretches of his career. His shooting after his return last season was uneven: he shot 41.1 percent from the field in 16 regular-season games following his return. The first week of this season has looked closer to his old form.
Boston Celtics get help from Paul George
The Boston Celtics also got a strong start from Paul George, who averaged 22.3 points per game through four games while shooting 43.8 percent from three-point range. Against Brooklyn, George had 20 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. On defense, he has guarded a range of opponents in the first week, from Detroit guard Cade Cunningham to Brooklyn forward Julius Randle and Chicago wing Caleb Wilson, using his length to make plays in passing lanes.
George ranks among the league leaders in steals and deflections early in the season, according to NESN. His shooting gives Boston another proven two-way option next to Tatum. The fit is still new, and four games is a small sample, but his three-point shooting has held up while his role has grown.
Derrick White has had a harder start from long range for the Boston Celtics. White is 7 for 22 from three-point range, or 31.8 percent, through four games. Nineteen of those 22 attempts came when he was open or wide open, meaning the nearest defender was at least four feet away, according to NBA.com. White still contributed against Brooklyn, with 16 points, seven assists and five rebounds, and he drew MVP chants from the home crowd late in that game.
Boston Celtics face questions in the paint
The Boston Celtics still have a problem to solve near the basket. Boston is averaging 42.5 points in the paint through four games, down from 44.3 per game last season. The drop is small, but it was a point of emphasis for president Brad Stevens after last season’s playoff loss to Philadelphia, when he talked about the need to have more of an impact at the rim.
The Brooklyn game gave one encouraging sign on that front. Boston scored a season-high 52 points in the paint against the Nets, which helped it win despite shooting 11 for 41 from three-point range. Brooklyn got 27 points and 12 rebounds from Michael Porter Jr. and 24 points and nine rebounds from Randle, and the Nets fell to 0-4.
The week ends where the next test begins. The Boston Celtics host Chicago on Friday in the NBA Cup Group C opener for both teams, a rematch of the 134-99 win on Monday. Chicago arrives after a 133-127 loss to New York on Wednesday. Boston has won three straight, including the overtime win over Brooklyn on Tuesday, and Friday is the first chance to stretch that run to four.