Josh Smith chipped in 15 points and seven rebounds for the Pistons, who racked up 54 points in the paint. Brandon Jennings scored 14 off the bench to go with four assists and four steals in his season debut.

Rookie reserve Kelly Olynyk led the Celtics with 15 points, and Avery Bradley and Jordan Crawford each added 13. Jeff Green, Boston's leading scorer through two games, played just 20 minutes and was limited to seven points on 3-of-5 shooting.

The Celtics' deficit was as large as 15 before the Pistons committed nine turnovers in the third quarter to allow Boston to pull within 63-58 entering the fourth. Boston tied it on a Bradley 3-pointer 58 seconds into the final quarter and took a 65-63 lead on a pair of Jared Sullinger free throws.

Detroit regained command with a 14-2 run, and Jennings had six points and two assists during the spurt. Bradley hit a 20-foot jumper to pull the Celtics within 79-77 with 2:14 left, but the Pistons scored the game's final eight points.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Jennings missed Detroit's first two games with an impacted wisdom tooth and a hairline jaw fracture. He played with a protective mask. … Drummond had two blocks, giving the second-year pro 99 in his career. … Boston was 3-of-16 from 3-point range and is shooting 22.2 percent from long range through three games.