BOSTON – New Orleans Hornets rookie Austin Rivers sank a layup and ran past the Boston Celtics’ bench on his way back down the floor.

Doc Rivers had to fight his fatherly instinct and ignore him.

“I was about to say something and I didn’t; I caught myself. I forgot he was on the other team,” the Celtics’ coach said after facing his son for the first time. “It’s just a strange dynamic. I didn’t enjoy it, honestly. I know it’s neat for everyone else but as a father, I don’t know if I enjoyed that.”

Greivis Vasquez had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Austin Rivers won his first NBA game against his father Wednesday night as the Hornets beat Boston, 90-78.

“I knew it was a different game and I didn’t try to pretend like it wasn’t, and I think that helped me,” the younger Rivers said. “Now that this is out of the way, it will be a lot easier. I can just go out there and not worry about, ‘Oh man, this is weird.’ “

Paul Pierce scored 12 points with 10 rebounds before fouling out in the final minutes as the Celtics’ six-game winning streak ended. Kevin Garnett scored 15 and Rajon Rondo had 11 assists.

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Pierce shot 5 of 16 from the floor and made 1 of 7 3-point attempts as Boston went 4 of 18 from beyond the arc.

The Hornets were worse, going 2 of 17 from 3-point range. But they have won 8 of 12 since an 11-game losing streak.

“If you look at our record, we’re in no position to laud or get happy about a couple of wins,” New Orleans Coach Monty Williams said.”

Rivers scored eight points, going 3 of 6 from the field and 2 of 4 from the line, adding two fouls and an assist in 23 minutes.

“I’m not going to say anything too stupid,” Austin Rivers said. “At the end of the day he has a lot more credentials or whatever you want to call it than I do. This is one little moment for me.”

Doc Rivers is the fourth coach to face his son in an NBA game, joining Butch van Breda Kolff, Mike Dunleavy and George Karl. He spoke briefly with his son before the game, but showed little reaction during the game. The two embraced at the final buzzer.

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“My dad didn’t really say anything to me,” Austin Rivers said. “Just before the game and after the game that he loved me and just told me to go out there and compete.”

The younger Rivers got a big cheer when he checked into the game with 4:19 left in the first half. Doc Rivers leaned back to say something to the assistant coaches sitting behind him and cracked a brief smile.

Austin Rivers spent much of his first stint on the court staking out a position on the right side, which placed him in front of the Celtics’ bench; there was no interaction with his father’s team. With about a minute left in the first quarter, he muscled a hook shot in for a basket, but his father had no reaction.

“I’m sure he hadn’t slept in about three or four days,” Williams said. “That’s a tough one, playing against your dad, your mom’s in the house, I’m screaming at him, and he goes out there and keeps his poise. I don’t understand that kind of pressure.”

MAGIC 97, PACERS 86: Nikola Vucevic had 16 points and 15 rebounds to help Orlando snap a six-game home losing streak.

HAWKS 109, NETS 95: Jeff Teague had a career-high 28 points and 11 assists, Zaza Pachulia finished two assists shy of a triple-double and Atlanta won at home to stop Brooklyn’s seven-game winning streak.

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BULLS 107, RAPTORS 105: Luol Deng hit a tie-breaking jump shot with three seconds left in overtime as visiting Chicago earned its eighth victory in nine meetings against Toronto.

THUNDER 117, NUGGETS 97: Russell Westbrook scored 32 points, Kevin Martin had 20 and Oklahoma City snapped visiting Denver’s six-game win streak.

SPURS 103, GRIZZLIES 82: Tony Parker had 17 points and 11 assists, and Tim Duncan added 19 points to help San Antonio extend its home win streak to 13 games.

MAVERICKS 105, ROCKETS 100: Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points and O.J. Mayo hit two tie-breaking free throws as Dallas held on at home.

NOTES

LAKERS: Pau Gasol expects to return from a concussion Thursday night when the Los Angeles Lakers are home against the Miami Heat.

HAWKS: Atlanta suspended forward Josh Smith for the game against Brooklyn for “conduct detrimental to the team.”


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