This page requires JavaScript to display.

Celtics blow 22-point lead

Sports · Heat 2.9 / 10 · 7 shows · 45m airtime

The Celtics led the Pistons by 22 points in the third quarter on October 20, 2026, and lost after Detroit went on a 23-0 run with mostly role players on the floor. Boston gave up 78 points after halftime, and Jayson Tatum scored two points on 1-of-10 shooting in the second half, taking one free throw in 38 minutes. The discussion has moved from whether Tatum is a passive second star to the George-for-Jalen Brown trade, after Brown commented 'cap' under Tatum's Instagram post about it. Brown has since said there is no beef, though he mentioned Tatum's PR team three times. Whether that settles the trade question remains open.

How 7 podcasts covered it

  1. The Bill Simmons Podcast, 2026-10-21 (16:16 to 24:14)
    Recaps the collapse from Boston's side
    Recaps the Celtics' opening-night collapse from the Boston side: the 22-point lead, Tatum's 6-for-23 and one free throw, Mazzulla's churn of lineups, and the pressure created by the Jalen Brown trade. Stays inside the game and the rotation questions already on the record.
  2. First Take, 2026-10-21 (27:48 to 36:43)
    Turns the Celtics collapse into a Tatum referendum
    Stephen A. Smith turns the loss into a referendum on Tatum: he argues Tatum returned too soon from his Achilles and could have stopped the Jaylen Brown trade. Adds that Boston gave up 78 points in the second half and that Tatum had two points on 1 of 10 after halftime.
    New angle: Tatum scored two points on 1-of-10 shooting in the second half, and Boston gave up 78 points after halftime.
  3. The Ryen Russillo Show, 2026-10-21 (20:11 to 24:48)
    Argues Boston's three-heavy identity is hard to watch
    Recaps the Celtics' blown lead and praises Detroit's defensive intensity, then argues Boston's three-heavy identity is effective but hard to watch, comparing it to Jalen Hurts. Stays inside the game and the shooting-philosophy debate already on the record.
  4. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-21 (35:02 to 41:47)
    Revives the Tatum-is-Pippen argument
    Uses one game to revive a seven-year argument: Tatum is a Pippen, not a Jordan. Points to the 23-0 Pistons run, Tatum's single free throw in 38 minutes and Mazzulla's praise of his 11 assists, then holds up Paul George's 38 points as the alpha counterexample.
    New angle: Tatum took one free throw in 38 minutes while the Pistons' bench ran off 23 straight points.
  5. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-21 (6:56 to 12:52)
    Recaps the blown lead and Haliburton's recovery
    Recaps the Celtics' 22-point blown lead and argues there is no panic in Boston, then spends most of the segment on Haliburton's Achilles and shingles recovery ahead of the Pacers' opener. Stays inside the week's coverage.
  6. PTI, 2026-10-21 (5:08 to 8:01)
    Picks the Spurs' loss as the worse collapse
    Weighs Boston's blown 22-point lead against San Antonio's loss to Oklahoma City and picks the Spurs' as worse, framing Thunder-Spurs as the league's best rivalry. The Celtics half is a retelling of the collapse, Tatum's 6-for-23 night and Boston's three-point reliance.
  7. The Herd with Colin Cowherd, 2026-10-23 (13:29 to 15:01)
    Recaps the collapse and Tatum's cold night
    Recaps the Celtics' opening-night collapse in the first of the nationally televised games - the 23-0 Pistons run, Tatum's 6-of-23 night, a role player scoreless in 10 minutes. Reaction and a Giannis aside, all inside the week's coverage.
  8. Nightcap, 2026-10-25 (19:29 to 25:51)
    Plays Brown's answer to the no-beef comments
    Plays Jaylen Brown's press-conference answer to Tatum's no-beef comments, reading the repeated PR-team mentions and the lamb chops line as a jab, then looks ahead to the first Celtics-76ers meeting. It extends the Brown-Tatum thread the card only had as a 'cap' comment.
    New angle: Jaylen Brown said there is no beef but mentioned Tatum's PR team three times and a little lamb chops and gravy.

Top comments

Unpacking...