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BOSTON -- Doc Rivers picked up another win in Boston. The coach who led the Celtics to the 2008 NBA title returned for the first time with the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night and beat Boston 96-88. Jamal Crawford scored 21 points, hitting a pair of 3-pointers 23 seconds apart to help the Clippers pull away in the final 3 minutes. "It was just a really nice day," said Rivers, choking back tears in his postgame news conference. "This is, its just such a classy place here. ... They cheer for their teams and they love their athletes. The best decision I ever made was 10 years ago, when I decided to come." Chris Paul had 22 points, nine assists and seven rebounds, and Blake Griffin scored 18 points for the Clippers, who won for the seventh time in 10 games. Reunion week resumes for Rivers on Thursday, when he faces former Celtics Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett -- now with the Brooklyn Nets. "It was a really special win," Crawford said. "You could see his emotions. I dont know what he was going through inside." Jeff Green scored 29 points against his former coach, who was traded to Los Angeles last summer for a first-round draft pick. Jordan Crawford had 20 points and nine assists, and Brandon Bass had 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Celtics, who lost their second in a row. "It wasnt emotional," said Green, one of just a handful of Celtics remaining from last years team. "We were just trying to win a game, plain and simple." The Celtics lost to Brooklyn on Tuesday night, facing two of the stars who brought an unprecedented 17th championship to Boston. One night later, Rivers returned to the TD Garden, where the banner for the 2008 title hangs from the rafters. Rivers got a standing ovation when he walked onto the court for warm-ups, another healthy cheer when he was introduced and a bigger one after a video on the scoreboard ended with, "Thank you, Doc!" "Im an emotional guy," Rivers said beforehand. "I just hope I can coach tonight." Rivers did just fine, getting 34 points from his bench to just four for Bostons. The Celtics led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Clippers erased it in a back-and-forth third quarter in which the lead changed hands five times. Los Angeles led 73-71 midway through the fourth quarter when Darren Collison scored six straight points. The Clippers had an 85-83 lead with under 3 minutes left when Crawford made back-to-back 3 pointers. Boston cut it to five on Jordan Crawfords 3-pointer, but never got closer. The Celtics opened a nine-point lead late in the half, but took a 45-39 lead into the break. The teams traded leads in the third quarter, which ended with the Clippers ahead 66-64. NOTES: DeAndre Jordan caused a jump ball in the first half when he tried a slam dunk but got it caught between the rim and the backboard. ... The Clippers continue reunion week Thursday night when Rivers faces his former Celtics players Garnett and Pierce in Brooklyn. ... Clippers F Antawn Jamison scored his 20,000th point. He is one of 20 players in NBA history to have 20,000 points along with 8,000 rebounds and 1,000 assists. ... The Celtics got their first points from the bench with 2 minutes left in the third quarter on a Gerald Wallace layup. ... Boston F Kris Humphries sat out with a bruised right knee. George Bell Jersey . -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released veteran guard Davin Joseph, a mainstay on their offensive line over the past eight seasons. Dave Winfield Jersey . Goldeyes third baseman Ryan Pineda drove in three runs and the pitching staff didnt allow an earned run, as Winnipeg downed Kansas City 6-3 in American Association exhibition action at CommunityAmerica Ballpark in Kansas. http://www.officialbluejaysgearshop.com/...ak-Kids-Jersey/. Wheeler scored at 4:58 of overtime, with Scheifele getting an assist, and the Jets beat the slumping Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Sunday night. Joe Carter Jersey . Marek Hamsik, who had earlier missed a penalty, headed Napoli in front in the 23rd minute and Pandev added a second goal five minutes from halftime. Alessandro Matri got Juventus back into the game just after the break but Pandev was on hand to score again in the 68th. Troy Tulowitzki Jersey . Damyean Dotson, 19, Dominic Artis, 19 and Brandon Austin, 18, were suspended after the school received a police report concerning allegations made by a student who said she was assaulted by the players in early March.OXFORD, Miss. -- Mississippis Marshall Henderson unleashed a first-half scoring spree that put No. 2 Floridas school-record winning streak in danger. The Gators were impressed. And then they made sure it didnt happen again. Jolted awake by Hendersons 22 points in the first half, Florida clamped down to keep him scoreless in the second half and then fought its way to a 75-71 victory on Saturday afternoon. Scottie Wilbekin scored 18 points and Michael Frazier II added 17 as the Gators (25-2, 14-0 Southeastern Conference) extended their winning streak to 19 games. "We had a heightened sense of urgency to start the second half, especially on (Henderson)," Frazier said. "We did a better job of staying locked in on him and staying locked in as a whole." Ole Miss (16-11, 7-7) has lost four in a row. Jarvis Summers added 20 points for the Rebels. The game was tied at 59 with eight minutes left, but Florida scored the next seven points to take control. Henderson missed all six of his shots in the second half. The Gators could very well be the No. 1 team in the country when the new polls are released on Monday. The current No. 1 Syracuse lost on Wednesday to Boston College. But Frazier and Florida coach Billy Donovan said that wont mean much. "This team understands that the whole is greater than its parts," Donovan said. "But we need to play better and Im talking about that from an effort standpoint." Ole Miss badly needed a quality win for its mediocre NCAA tournament resume and played like a desperate team for much of the afternoon. But the Gators steadily put the Rebels away with quality offensive possessions late in the second half. "We gave a winning effort," Ole Miss coach Andy Kennedy said. "But weve got to make plays and we didnt make plays." Florida had to survive Hendersons impressive barrage in the first half just to have a chance. Its not the first time Henderson has had a big moments against the Gators. He scored 221 points against Florida last season in the SEC tournament championship -- adding a memorable Gator Chomp motion as the Rebels ended up winning 66-63.dddddddddddd And it was quickly apparent on Saturday that the 6-foot-2 senior was feeling good again. He shot 7 of 14 from the field -- including 5 of 11 from 3-point range -- as the two teams fought to an entertaining 42-all tie by halftime. The Gators vaunted defence, which is easily the best statistically in the SEC, had few answers for Henderson early. He made several difficult shots with a hand in his face. It didnt last. Henderson cooled off in the second half -- missing those tough looks that had gone in during the first half -- and Florida did enough offensively to win. "Youre not going to prevent (Henderson) from shooting and in the first half it was a wash -- him versus our team," Donovan said. "In the second half, it just didnt go in." The Rebels stayed in the game thanks to a big second half from Anthony Perez and Summers. Perez made a layup to tie it at 59. But Florida responded quickly. Wilbekin stole the ball and passed down the court to Patric Young, who finished with a dunk. Casey Prather made a 10-foot jumper on the next possession and the Gators never trailed again. Florida was relentlessly efficient down the stretch, scoring on nearly every possession in the final minutes. "All I can say is were focused more (late in the game), were more together and more connected," Frazier said. "Thats something we pride ourselves on. We want to become stronger when the adversity becomes stronger." Young added 12 points and five rebounds for the Gators. He made four straight crucial free throws in the final minutes to help Florida keep its lead. Henderson finished 7 of 20 from the field, including 5 of 16 from 3-point range. He tied Pat Bradleys SEC record by hitting a 3-pointer in a 60th consecutive game. The Gators havent lost since a 65-64 setback to UConn on Dec. 2. ' ' '