Roundup
Boston Celtics
Brooklyn Nets
New York Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers
Toronto Raptors
Paul George shines in bitter loss, Atlantic Division roundup
Paul George delivers a huge debut for the Celtics, but Boston blows a big lead in Detroit as LeBron James and the 76ers crash the Knicks’ championship celebration.
By the PickALeague Newsroom · Published · Source: PickALeagueSummary written with AI assistance — how we workLire en français →
The 2026-27 season is barely underway, but the Atlantic Division already has drama: a collapsed lead in Boston, a statement opener from LeBron James in Philadelphia, and front-office moves in Toronto. According to Hoops Rumors, the league officially tipped off the new campaign on Tuesday after a 128-day offseason.
Celtics: George explodes, Boston collapses in Detroit
In Detroit, the Boston Celtics opened their season with a gut-punch loss, falling 121-113 to the Pistons. Paul George delivered a spectacular first outing in green, pouring in 38 points in his debut, as noted by Hoops Rumors. Boston built a 22-point lead only to watch it evaporate in the second half, turning what looked like a comfortable win into a blown opportunity. The loss drops the Celtics to 0-1 and, as CBS Sports frames it in an opening-night overreactions piece, already raises the question of how Jayson Tatum is adjusting without Jaylen Brown.
Knicks–76ers: champions cooled off at home
At Madison Square Garden, the New York Knicks were celebrating the end of a 53-year championship drought. The Philadelphia 76ers crashed the party. CBS Sports reports that Philadelphia’s win on opening night spoiled the banner-raising and served as an early reminder of how tough repeating will be. LeBron James, making his 76ers debut, stuffed the stat sheet with his trademark all-around production as Philly opened the season 1-0 and dropped the defending champs to 0-1.
CBS Sports handed out high marks for James’ first outing in a Sixers uniform and used its overreactions column to suggest Philadelphia might already look “figured out” while Paul George appears on an All-Star trajectory. Another CBS Sports feature revisits James’ long history of flirting with the Knicks and notes that, after years of teasing and turning them down, this summer may have been the moment when James is the one left wondering what might have been. La Presse also highlighted the “what if” scenario of James beginning his record 24th NBA season at Madison Square Garden in a Knicks jersey instead of with the 76ers.
The Knicks remain firmly in the spotlight off the court. CBS Sports reports that Karl-Anthony Towns has confirmed he’s willing to take less money to stay in New York amid stalled extension talks. The same outlet’s early power rankings have the Knicks leading a reloaded Eastern Conference, even after that opening stumble.
Raptors, Nets idle; Toronto locks in young core
The Toronto Raptors haven’t played yet (0-0), but they made sure to secure part of their future. Hoops Rumors reports that Toronto has picked up its 2027-28 rookie-scale team options on forward Collin Murray-Boyles and wing Ja’Kobe Walter, keeping both young players under team control. The third-year option on Murray-Boyles’ deal is worth $6.97MM, according to the outlet. Hoops Rumors also mentions league-wide injury updates that include the Brooklyn Nets and Raptors, without detailing specific situations. Like Toronto, Brooklyn is still awaiting its first regular-season game (0-0).