NEW YORK -- For Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, seeing Deron Williams back far outweighed seeing the Celtics again. Williams scored a season-high 25 points in his return to the lineup, Brook Lopez added 24, and the Brooklyn Nets beat Boston 104-96 Tuesday night in the first matchup for Pierce and Garnett against their former team. "D-Will set the tone for how we were going to play tonight," Garnett said. Garnett had 11 points, just his third time in double figures this season, and grabbed nine rebounds. Pierce finished with four points and seven rebounds in his first appearance off the bench in six years after making a quick recovery from a broken right hand. But the key was Williams, who had missed nine straight games and 11 overall with a sprained left ankle, and hadnt been sharp in the games in which he did appear. "Hes the head of the snake," Pierce said. "I mean hes one of the most important pieces of what were trying to do here, what were trying to build and trying to win a championship." The Nets won consecutive games for the first time this season, a stunning stat for a team that considered itself a championship contender after acquiring Pierce and Garnett in a blockbuster that was agreed to on draft night. Both veterans had struggled, with the 12.4 points per game and .368 shooting by Pierce easily the lowest of his career before he was hurt on Nov. 29. The Nets had lost six straight at home, their longest skid since moving to Brooklyn. "Were starting to get whole and its definitely good to have everybody back," Williams said. "Even though Paul didnt start, I thought he came in and gave us a big boost off the bench. It seemed like our energy level was a lot better. More intensity on both ends of the floor." Avery Bradley scored 22 points and Jeff Green had 19 for the Celtics, who have been competitive after trading away two of their most important players from their 2008 NBA championship team. Boston had a three-game winning streak snapped and its Atlantic Division-leading record fell to 10-13. "The players that they had come back tonight, I still feel like they were a very good team. But obviously having two of their leaders as in Deron Williams and Paul, you know that definitely helps them out a lot," Bradley said. The Celtics had started with 14-0 and 12-0 leads in their last two games, the latter eventually ballooning to a 45-point bulge in a 114-73 victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday that was the NBAs most lopsided game this season. Brooklyn got off to the strong start in this one, pulled away again after Boston tied it, and put it away when Williams, who came in averaging just 9.3 points, scored eight in the final period. "They played great tonight. Played really hard, really together. They took us out of what we wanted to do," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. "Like I said, we werent playing the New Jersey Nets that played without D-Will for those 10 games. That is their team and theyre a good basketball team." Pierce was expected to miss two to four weeks, but sat out only four games before returning to practice Monday. He received a nice ovation when he checked in with a protective glove covering his hand midway through the first quarter, no doubt aided by the many Boston fans that were noticeable all around Barclays Center. He said hes still getting used to the glove, joking he might take it out to the movies, and might have to get used to a new role. Coach Jason Kidd said he would consider whether Pierce would remain with the second unit. Garnett gave a pat on the head and a little hug before the opening tip to Bostons starters, who go on to face former coach Doc Rivers and the Clippers on Wednesday. The Nets led 31-20 after one, their largest lead after the opening quarter this season, and 56-47 at the half. Boston quickly tied it at 60, but the Nets responded with 10 straight points, going ahead 70-60 on Williams jumper, and the lead reached 85-68 on Pierces free throw with 1:14 left. NOTES: It was the first time Garnett played against the Celtics since March 4, 2007, for Minnesota. ... Boxer Paulie Malignaggi was presented with the championship of Brooklyn belt by Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark in the second quarter after beating fellow Brooklyn product Zab Judah in a welterweight bout here Saturday. Adidas Stan Smith Sale Australia . Englands only win in the four most recent trips north had been tight, and Scotland was expected after losing 28-6 to Ireland six days ago to show some venom against its archrival. Adidas Stan Smith Australia .com) - Guess whos back, back again? Josh Gordons back, tell a friend. http://www.wholesalestansmithaustralia.com/. Atletico Madrid made it three wins from three thanks to a double from in-form striker Diego Costa in a 3-0 victory at Austria Vienna, leaving the Spanish side on the brink of the last 16 already to continue its brilliant start to the season. Wholesale Adidas Stan Smith Sale . - The Clippers have signed guard Dahntay Jones to a second 10-day contract. Cheap Adidas Stan Smith . LOUIS -- St.ANAHEIM, Calif. - David Freese demonstrated just how much the Los Angeles Angels needed his bat in the lineup the past two weeks. Freese had a season-high four RBIs after getting reinstated from the disabled list, Tyler Skaggs pitched seven solid innings and the Los Angeles Angels scored five unearned runs against Scott Feldman to beat the Houston Astros 9-3 on Tuesday night. In three rehab games with Salt Lake, Freese was 2-for-10 with two home runs, four RBI and four walks. "Its a lot better. Its pretty close to being where it should be," Freese said. "I did what I needed to do down in Salt Lake to prove that I could come back here and be in the lineup." Freese was in the Angels lineup for the first time since May 2, when he sustained a non-displaced fracture in the middle finger of his right hand after getting hit by a pitch from Texas Colby Lewis. The 2011 World Series MVP had as many as four RBIs twice last season with the St. Louis Cardinals, including a grand slam against Milwaukee. "He was put through the paces for the last week, both up here and when he went down there to rehab in Triple-A in his workouts and in the games," manager Mike Scioscia said. "Hes able to do the things were going to need him to do at third base." Mike Trout had three RBIs in his second game of the season as a designated hitter, helping the Angels win for the ninth time in 12 games. It was only the third multi-RBI game this month for Trout. Skaggs (4-1) allowed five hits, struck out six and walked one, helping end Houstons three-game winning streak. The only run against the left-hander came on a sacrifice fly by Matt Dominguez in the fourth. "He attacked the zone with his fastball, and his breaking ball was pretty good," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "Jose Altuve came into the dugout and said he was having trouble picking up the spin. So when Altuves having trouble picking up the spin, you know hes throwing a good one." Feldman (2-2) was charged with eight runs and nine hits in four-plus innings in his third start off the DL, after missing three turns because of biceps tendinitis. The right-hander was undermined by his defence, as first baseman Chris Carter and shortstop Jonathan Viillar committed costly fielding errors in the first and fifth innings, respectively.dddddddddddd "We had been able to stay away from what I call High-leverage impact errors. And the two errors today led to runs, so that hurt us," manager Bo Porter said. Houstons starting pitchers had allowed just six unearned runs combined in 265 innings entering Tuesday. In Feldmans 13 previous career starts against the Angels, he had yielded only one unearned run — the result of a throwing error by then-Texas batterymate Taylor Teagarden. "Weve been doing a great job of catching the ball, and tonight I feel like I really let the guys down," Feldman said. "I felt pretty good — it was just a matter of not making too many good pitches when I needed to. And when I was missing my spots and hanging curveballs, those guys made me pay because theyre pretty good at what they do. From the get-go I was leaving stuff over the middle, leaving stuff up and missing my spots by four feet. And they kept on the attack." The Angels, who lead the majors with 35 first-inning runs, grabbed a 3-0 advantage after Carter misplayed a short-hop grounder by Albert Pujols. Feldman walked the next two batters, and Freese whacked a 1-1 pitch to left-centre for a two-run single. Hank Conger then singled home Howie Kendrick. Trout drove in the Halos next two runs with a sacrifice fly in the second and an RBI single off Feldmans left foot in the fourth. Houstons Darin Downs walked Erick Aybar with the bases loaded during the Angels three-run fifth, and Trout greeted Jerome Williams with a run-scoring infield hit. Williams struck out Pujols to end the fifth, making him 0 for 8 with the bases loaded. But Freese doubled home a run against Williams in the sixth to make it 9-1. NOTES: Angels LF Josh Hamilton is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Salt Lake on Thursday. Hes been out of the lineup since April 6, when he tore a ligament in his left thumb on a headfirst slide into first base at Seattle. ... The Astros havent won more than three in a row since a four-game stretch last Sept. 9-13, which was immediately followed by a season-ending 15-game losing streak. ... The Angels were 10-6 during Freeses absence. ' ' '