Hornets-Celtics Preview

By MIKE LIPKA
Posted Jan 15 2013 11:05PM

It can't be easy for Doc Rivers to see his son struggle as a 20-year-old rookie in the NBA, but Austin Rivers' recent woes may make Wednesday night a bit less confusing for the Boston Celtics coach.

The New Orleans Hornets guard has been seeing limited minutes heading into his first matchup with his father's team, which is going for its seventh consecutive victory.

Doc Rivers said he was looking forward to facing his son after the Hornets drafted Austin 10th overall last summer, but he didn't seem as excited this week.

"I'm actually not," the coach told the Celtics' official website. "I don't even know what I'm looking forward to. It's not like he's playing a ton anyway, but you never know. As far as him and being on the floor, that's just a different feeling. I still don't know how to feel about it."

It's something only three previous fathers have experienced in the NBA, most recently in one of many matchups between Mike Dunleavy Sr. and Jr. in 2009.

"It's just hard, because you want to beat him and then you want him to do (well)," Doc Rivers said. "It's just a lot of mixed emotions."

It hasn't been an easy transition to the pros for Austin Rivers after only one season at Duke. He's shooting 32.8 percent - worst in the league among those who've taken at least 250 shots - and his minutes have plummeted since Eric Gordon's recent return.

He's 0 for 9 from the field in his last five games, and he's been on the court for a combined 14 minutes in the last three.

The Celtics (20-17) don't plan to take it easy on him.

"I don't care if he's Doc's kid," forward Jeff Green said. "He gonna get mad at me? He wants us to stop him, right? If he comes through the lane, I'm gonna hit him. Welcome to the NBA, kid."

The Hornets encounter a red-hot Boston team that's in the midst of its longest win streak since a 14-game run early in the 2010-11 season. A favorable five-game homestand has helped, beginning with victories over Phoenix, Houston and Charlotte.

Rajon Rondo had his second triple-double in four games in Monday's 100-89 win over the Bobcats, posting 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting along with 12 assists and 10 rebounds.

"Since we've been winning the locker room is a little bit more relaxed, guys aren't as tense," Rondo said. "It's nice to see that swagger on the court again."

New Orleans (12-26) also has some newfound confidence after winning five of its last six. Coach Monty Williams' team opened a three-game road trip with a loss to New York on Sunday, but the Hornets bounced back Tuesday with a 111-99 win over Philadelphia.

Gordon chipped in 19 points and Greivis Vasquez continued his improved play with 23 on 10-of-18 shooting while adding nine assists. Vasquez has averaged 18.5 points on 51.2 percent shooting and 10.3 assists in his last 11 games, a 7-4 stretch for New Orleans.

"We have raised the expectation level for us," Gordon said. "When we have consistent play, and you combine that with the chemistry we now have, it is something to build off."

The Hornets have won three of four against the Celtics, including a 19-point victory in the lone meeting last season and a two-point win in their last trip to Boston on Dec. 31, 2010.

Hornets win matchup of Doc, Austin Rivers 90-78

By JIMMY GOLEN
Posted Jan 16 2013 11:33PM

BOSTON (AP) 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 on Wednesday night as the Hornets beat Boston 90-78. New Orleans has won six of its last seven games to escape the Western Conference cellar.

"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 came to an end. Kevin Garnett scored 15 and Rajon Rondo had 11 assists.

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

The Hornets were worse, going 2 of 17 from 3-point range. But they have won eight of 12 since an 11-game losing streak that stretched through much of December.

"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. "We've got a lot of work to do. I'm more concerned about our next practice - how our guys prepare and come focused for that practice. That will tell me about our growth."

Al-Farouq Aminu had 18 points and nine rebounds and Anthony Davis had 10 of each for New Orleans. Rivers scored eight points, going 3 for 6 from the field and 2 for 4 from the line while 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 just 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.

"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 from the opposing crowd 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."

The Celtics opened a 21-10 lead but then allowed six straight points, including a drive by Rivers. The Hornets scored 11 consecutive points midway through the second quarter to turn a five-point deficit into a 38-32 lead; they led by one at halftime, then scored the first eight points of the third quarter to make it 52-43.

It was 61-49 when Pierce made a turnaround jumper and, after Rondo swiped Vasquez's bad pass, Jason Terry hit a 3-pointer. Jeff Green blocked Ryan Anderson, and Terry made a short jumper; Terry had another 3 and, later in the quarter, a steal to set up Pierce for a jumper in the final seconds that made it 67-63.

But the Celtics kept missing shots, failing to score from the 6:22 mark of the fourth quarter until 2:04 remained in the game. By then, the Hornets had turned a four-point lead into an 87-71 advantage. Boston shot 7 for 23 in the fourth quarter.

Notes: The Hornets opened the game 3 for 13 from the floor and missed all five of their 3-point attempts in the first period. New Orleans also committed six turnovers in the first, yet trailed just 25-20 after one. ... Celtics F Chris Wilcox did not play for the second straight game. Doc Rivers said he was available. ... Garnett passed Patrick Ewing and moved into 16th place on the NBA's career scoring list.

Notebook: Hornets 90, Celtics 78

Brian Robb, For NBA.com
Posted Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:04 AM - Updated Thu Jan 17, 2013 12:04 AM

THE FACTS: Greivis Vasquez had 15 points and 11 rebounds, carrying the shorthanded New Orleans Hornets to a surprising 90-78 win over the Boston Celtics Wednesday night. Austin Rivers added eight points for the Hornets (13-26) off the bench as he won the first head-to-head matchup against his father, Doc Rivers, coach of Boston (20-18). Al-Farouq Aminu had a season-high 18 points to lead the surging visitors, as the Hornets have now won six out of their last seven games. Kevin Garnett finished with 15 points to pace the Celtics, as they had their six-game winning streak snapped.

QUOTABLE: "It was a different situation. It was like playing against your old team. You know, I didn't play with them but it feels like I've been with them. I've been through it all with them. It's been through the stands when I was young, I've seen everything."

-- Austin Rivers on facing his father and the Boston Celtics

THE STAT: With both teams struggling with their shots from the perimeter, the Hornets managed to gain the upper hand in the paint. New Orleans outscored Boston 24-12 on points in the paint in the second half, helping them pull away with the win.

TURNING POINT: The visitors broke open the game with an 8-0 run at the start of the second half, pushing a one-point lead to nine. The Celtics got no closer than four points the rest of the way.

QUOTABLE II: "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."

-- Boston coach Doc Rivers on facing his son

HOT: Robin Lopez -- The offseason addition to the Hornets had this way against an undersized Celtics front line. Lopez hit 7 of his 11 shots, several off second-chance opportunities and finished with 17 points on the evening.

NOT: Paul Pierce-- Boston's leading scorer could not find his rhythm for nearly the entire contest and settled for far too many shots on the perimeter. Pierce managed just 12 points on 5-for-16 shooting before fouling out in the final minute of the game.

FANTASY SPOTLIGHT: Anthony Davis -- The first overall pick of the 2012 NBA Draft finished with the fifth double-double of his young career, posting an impressive 10 points and 10 rebounds, along with a pair of blocks in 27 minutes of action.

QUOTABLE III: "I thought it was a great team win. We had so many guys that played tonight, and they made big-time contributions; things that don't show up on the stat sheet but things we recognize as a coaching staff."

-Hornets coach Monty Williams

ROOKIE WATCH: the Hornets' Rivers, the former Duke star, performed well in front of his father and dozens of family members in the TD Garden crowd. Due to a variety of injuries to the Hornets front line, Rivers played much more than usual and took advantage of the opportunity, posting eight points in 23 minutes.

NOTABLE: With his third basket of the night, Garnett passed Patrick Ewing for 16th all-time in points scored in NBA History. ... Brian Roberts left the game in the second quarter with a sprained left ankle. He did not return. ...Wednesday's contest was the fourth time in NBA history a father has coached against his son in a head-to-head matchup. ...Eric Gordon did not play to rest his sore left knee.

UP NEXT: For New Orleans, Saturday vs. Golden State, Monday vs. Sacramento, Wednesday @ San Antonio. For Boston, Wednesday vs. New Orleans, Friday vs. Chicago, Sunday @ Detroit.

• Hornets: Miller
• Celtics: Melo

• Hornets: --
• Celtics: --

• Lead Changes: 3
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: TD Garden, Boston, MA
• Officials: #41 Ken Mauer, #11 Derrick Collins, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 18624
• Duration: 2:10