Radford doesn't produce NBA alumni often, but when it does, it produces moments like this.
Javonte Green, the Pistons' swingman and the Radford Highlanders' most prominent pro product, delivered one of the more electric performances of NBA opening week — coming off the bench to engineer a 22-point comeback and leave Boston's opening night in ruins.
The Comeback
Detroit trailed the Celtics by 22 points before Green took over. In just 17 minutes of action on Tuesday, October 20, the Radford alum posted 19 points, 4 rebounds, and a jaw-dropping +21 plus-minus as the Pistons rallied to win 121–113. Per Sports Illustrated's player grades, Green was the unambiguous catalyst — his shooting and energy shifting the game's entire complexion at a moment when Detroit looked buried.
For context, that +21 in 17 minutes isn't a typo. Green was on the floor for roughly a quarter of game time and the Pistons outscored Boston by 21 points while he was out there. That's the kind of impact line that turns heads league-wide, not just in alumni newsletters.
The Boston side of the ledger was uglier. Sports Illustrated's Celtics breakdown noted the defending contenders started slow, eventually found their footing to build that big lead, and then watched it evaporate — with Green and Duncan Robinson doing most of the damage. Blowing a 22-point lead on opening night is the kind of thing that fuels a fan base's anxiety for weeks.
Back to Earth — Briefly
Green followed the opener with a quieter showing Saturday, October 24, against the Heat — 5 points, 3 rebounds, and a block in 13 minutes in a 128–111 Detroit win. The production dipped, but the outcome didn't: the Pistons won again, and Green's +3 in a blowout suggests he was more than a footnote in a comfortable victory.
Two games in, Detroit is 2–0 and Green has played a meaningful role in both wins.
The Bigger Picture
Green was never supposed to be this story. Undrafted out of Radford in 2019, he spent time with the Celtics — ironically — before carving out a role in Detroit as a high-motor, switchable wing who earns his minutes on hustle and defense. Opening night flipped that script: he was the offensive spark, the momentum-shifter, the guy the broadcast kept coming back to.
For Radford fans, it's a genuine "wait, that's our guy" moment. Green has always been a quiet success story for the program. Through the first week of the 2026–27 NBA season, he's anything but quiet.
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