Rivers Is a Winner in Orlando Return

Doc Rivers steered his team back on course while gaining a measure of revenge on his old squad, and the Boston Celtics ended a four-game losing streak by beating the Magic, 117-101, Monday night at Orlando, Fla.

The Magic fired Rivers a year ago, after four-plus seasons, when the team started 1-10. But he insisted Monday’s game wasn’t personal.

“For me, I just kept it on the guys,” Rivers said. “It couldn’t be about me. It had to be about the players, and the players answered tonight.”

Paul Pierce led seven players in double figures with 24 points for the Celtics, who enjoyed their best offensive performance of the season because they managed to outrun the Magic.

“They attack the basket, so we thought if we could get stops and get up and down the court, then we could beat them before they set their defense,” Rivers said.

It worked. The Magic missed 23 of its first 32 shots, and by the time its shooting improved, the Celtics couldn’t be caught after leading by 27 points.

Hedo Turkoglu scored 17 points for the Magic.

Denver 76, New Orleans 67 -- Earl Boykins scored 22 points at Denver as the Nuggets took advantage of the Hornets’ seven-minute scoring drought down the stretch to win for the sixth time in seven games.

The Nuggets, however, trailed into the fourth quarter against the Hornets, who came into the final stop of a five-game trip with the league’s worst record and without star guard Baron Davis and starting center Jamaal Magloire.

Lee Nailon had 16 points for the Hornets, who avoided matching the lowest point total in team history only because of a David West layup with 1 minute 8 seconds remaining.