Paul George scored 38 points in his Boston Celtics debut but could not prevent a second-half collapse in a 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday. After the game, the nine-time All-Star discussed his return to the court, his physical progress and what Boston must improve after surrendering a 22-point lead.
“Felt great competing with these guys,” George said. “Just been speaking about being healthy and feeling like myself in my body again.”
George shot 12-for-21 from the field and made seven three-pointers in his first regular-season game with Boston, which acquired him from Philadelphia in exchange for Jaylen Brown. Despite his individual performance, George stressed that the result mattered more than his scoring total.
“There’s a lot to be proud of. But I’m not a moral victory guy, so it means nothing. We lost,” he said. “Just got to get ready for the next one.”
Boston led by as many as 22 points early in the third quarter before Detroit rallied behind Javonte Green and Duncan Robinson. George identified rebounding, ball security and shot selection as areas the Celtics could address.
“The extra rebounds, just getting quality shots, taking care of the ball — just the little stuff I think we’ll clean up,” George said.
He also acknowledged that Boston was still learning to play together after offseason changes. George said the coaching staff and his teammates had helped him adjust to a new system and find his rhythm during a difficult training camp.
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“Credit to these guys, though. They did an amazing job keeping me in the loop, making me feel a part of the team at all points throughout this process,” George said, specifically praising Joe, Derrick White, Payton Pritchard, Jayson Tatum and the team’s big men for helping him find opportunities.
George said his physical condition had improved after a challenging period of rehabilitation and recovery.
“The camp legs were just heavy. I was winded a lot of times,” he said. “But I’m getting my wind back. I’m getting my legs back. I feel like I’m getting my pop back.”
He described the previous two years as difficult because of injuries and said the past summer gave him an opportunity to work on his game rather than focus primarily on rehabilitation.
George also praised Detroit’s response, saying the Pistons’ energy and physical style changed the game after Boston built its lead.
“They played Detroit basketball. They’re a gritty team. They play hard. They play tough,” he said.
George believes Boston can learn from the defeat as its new-look roster develops chemistry.
“If we’re in a driver’s seat like that, we’ll learn how to close those kind of games,” he said.
The Celtics will look to respond when they host the New York Knicks on Friday.
