Rivera entered to a nice ovation and worked a scoreless ninth inning for his 31st save, closing out a strong effort by New York’s pitchers that carried the Yankees to a 5-2 victory.

“I always love to pitch here, always,” the 43-year old Rivera said. “Yankee Stadium’s home, but I love to come here. It’s a great atmosphere. We’ve played big games here. It’s always good.”

Lyle Overbay and Brett Gardner each collected three hits and drove in a run to back Hiroki Kuroda’s seven strong innings. David Robertson worked a scoreless eighth, setting the stage for Rivera, the All-Star game MVP.

“That doesn’t surprise me,” Overbay said of Rivera’s ovation. “He deserves it. I think everybody’s embracing what he’s done as a pitcher, so it’s well-deserving and shows you the respect they have for him.”

Rivera could smile when he was reminded about a standing ovation he got on Opening Day in 2005, the year after Boston rallied from a 3-0 deficit against New York in the American League Championship series en route to the World Series title.

“That’s what happened,” he said.

The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for the injury-riddled Yankees, who hope to be bolstered by the return of captain Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez soon.

Mike Carp had three hits and scored a run for the Red Sox. It was just Boston’s second loss in its past 11 games at Fenway.

In a matchup of veteran right-handers, Kuroda and John Lackey both mostly relied on fastballs in the low 90s with hard sliders to go along with outstanding control. The pair combined for just one walk — by Kuroda — and threw a high percentage of strikes.

“It was a close game all along, so I had to be careful with my pitches,” Kuroda said through a translator. “But when they gave me the run support, I think I was able to be more bold.”

Kuroda (9-6) gave up two runs and five hits, striking out four with a pair of wild pitches — one that led to a run. Robinson Cano added two RBIs.

“I think what was most impressive was, in these conditions, to be able to touch 95 in the sixth, seventh innings against the meat of our order when he needed it,” Boston manager John Farrell said of the 38-year-old Kuroda. “He’s a very good pitcher and had a good day today.”

More On The Red Sox

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The game was tight when Lackey left with a pair of runners on, trailing 2-0 in the seventh. New York then built its lead to 4-0 in the inning on consecutive RBI singles by Cano and Overbay against reliever Matt Thornton.

Lackey (7-7) was charged with four runs on 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings, striking out seven. It snapped a stretch of six consecutive starts when he allowed two or fewer runs, and was just the third time in his 17 starts this season he’s given up more than three.

“With how good their guy pitched, it doesn’t really matter,” Lackey said of being in a tight game. “I’m kind of used to it. A lot of mine have been like that this year. It’s kind of been fun.”

Jonny Gomes had a sacrifice fly and Carp scored on Kuroda’s wild pitch, cutting it to 4-2 in the seventh.

Pitching in sweltering conditions with a game-time temperature of 91 with oppressive humidity, the pair battled through four scoreless innings until New York took a 1-0 lead in the fifth on Gardner’s two-out, RBI single.

It appeared the Yankees had squandered a good chance when they had a runner cut down at the plate on Luis Cruz’s grounder to short. But Cruz, who reached on the fielder’s choice on the play, advanced on a wild pitch before Gardner’s soft liner up the middle just got past the glove of diving second baseman Dustin Pedroia. Eduardo Nunez had a leadoff single, stole second, and was sacrificed, but was thrown out by Stephen Drew.

Cruz’s RBI single made it 2-0 in the seventh before Cano and Overbay added their hits.

Boston also had a runner nailed at the plate when Carp was tagged out by Kuroda in the fifth, ending the inning after his pitch ticked off the glove of catcher Stewart and about 20 feet behind the plate.

Game notes

Farrell said before the game that OF Shane Victorino “felt better than I think he expected to feel” after leaving Friday’s game with left hamstring tightness. Farrell also said “we expect him back in the lineup (Sunday).” … Boston moved LHP Jon Lester back a few days and will send right-hander Ryan Dempster (5-8, 4.24 ERA) in the series finale against the Yankees’ CC Sabathia (9-8, 4.07 ERA) on Sunday night. … Count Sabathia as one that really enjoyed the four-day All-Star break. In fact, he didn’t even know that teammate Cano got plunked on the right knee in the midsummer classic until he heard from one of the coaches before his flight to Boston. “I was just hoping he didn’t come in on crutches,” he said, smiling. “It was good to get the four days. I got away from baseball. As far as anything going on (with the All-Star game or Home Run Derby), I didn’t know anything.” … At the Yankees’ complex in Tampa, Fla., C Francisco Cervelli (right hand and elbow) said he has started hitting drills in an indoor cage and OF Curtis Granderson (broken pinkie), expected back early next month, ran the bases during a simulated game but did not hit. He is taking batting practice. … The start was delayed 21 minutes because of a threat of thunderstorms in the area.

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In an interview with ESPN Radio on Friday from All-Star festivities in Houston, the 36-year-old Garnett said some are reading too much into his words after declaring with certainty on Wednesday that this would be his final All-Star appearance.

“I did say that, didn’t I?” joked Garnett. “I’m just being honest. To think that, first off, not to take this for granted and I’m more than honored and flattered. But to think that two years left, who knows what the future’s going to hold for me. I can’t say that I’m going to be an All-Star next year at 37-38 years old. That’s ludicrous.

“I’m learning this new journalism these days, they don’t really put out the whole question, they just ask the parts at which they want. So I’ll explain it. The question kinda came off as whether next year and [Garnett] making the All-Star [game], I was like, ‘Woah, woah, woah. This is probably my last,’ then went into that way and spoke on it. But yeah, I don’t anticipate — I never said that I wasn’t going to anticipate playing like an All-Star next year, I didn’t say that. But to sit up here with all those young guys and up-and-coming talent, I can’t just that. I’m not that brash, that egotistical of a guy say nothing like that. I’m more than honored to be here, it’s not by coincidence, I’m working hard like the next man. But to sit up there and say that next year [he’d be an All-Star], I would never disrespect the game like that.”

Garnett inked a three-year, $36 million deal this offseason; he’ll turn 39 before it ends. One thing he made clear: He doesn’t have any plans to play beyond this current contract.

“I hope I’m not playing at 40,” said Garnett. “I don’t know. Forty, to all you guys that are 40, excuse me before I say this, and ladies who are 40, but I don’t want to play until I’m 40. I love to hoop, by the end I want to be like — when I’m 40 I want to be in the YMCA somewhere, busting a guy like you up, talking trash to you, killing your ego. Shooting the hook shot left and right, something I never do, and enjoying it. I put my time into the game, I actually enjoy playing with the lights or without the lights, but I feel like these times in which I’m going, the game is hard, it’s very difficult to go out here and play these minutes and put in — I prepare the best way I can every night, but it’s challenging, man. It’s very challenging.”

Informed that outsiders don’t notice much slippage in his game — and the stats certainly don’t reflect anything of the such — Garnett said he still holds himself to insanely hard standards.

“As long as I’m going to play this game, I’m going to have a certain level that I’m going to demand of myself. And if I can’t get to that level then I’m going to have a problem,” said Garnett. “And it’s going to eat me up, and internally it’s going to mess with me. And I don’t go at things 20 percent or 30, it’s either 0 or 100 percent. If I can’t keep a certain level, then it’s honestly it’s going to bother me. And I don’t want that. I don’t want to be in a situation where I look depleted — hell, I look depleted some nights, and it’s like, ‘What are you doing out here?’ However y’all see me, that’s how you see me; but how I see myself, is in another realm. I expect a lot out of myself.”

Garnett reaffirmed his desire to retire a Celtic.

“[Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge], since Day 1, even when Ray was here, the first day we got there he always told us he would do whatever he had to do to make the team better, he wouldn’t put guys above the team,” said Garnett. “That was the foundation and we all understood that, never had a problem with it. I’ve always told him where I was, as far as being a Celtic. My expectations were not to come back to be traded. We both understand that, but this is a business and you have to understand that, I do.

“It’s my preference, I will retire a Celtic and be buried in green and that’s where it stands. As far as the organization, where they feel they want to go, their visions for the future, I can’t speak on that. You have to ask them that. For right now, this is what it is, if it changes, I’ll have to deal with that.”

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The New York Knicks forward suffered the injury early in the first quarter of the Knicks’ 92-88 loss to Toronto when DeMar DeRozan elbowed him in the arm on a drive.

Anthony said he felt numbness throughout the game and called the contusion “kind of deep.”

If he feels discomfort leading up to Sunday evening’s game, Anthony said he would sit out rather than risk further injury.

“I’m not going to force it, definitely not going to force it,” Anthony said. “As bad as I would want to play in the All-Star Game, participate, if I can’t go, I can’t go. Nothing I can do about that.”

Anthony struggled with his shot throughout the Knicks’ loss on Wednesday, their third in four games heading into the All-Star break.

Anthony missed 19-of-24 shots and had just 12 points. It was the third game this season in which he failed to score 20 points.

The injury affected Anthony’s shot throughout the game.

“It was kind of like a dead arm out there,” he said. “Just a matter of trying to get through it, trying to get some feeling back into it.”

Anthony, a six-time All-Star, entered play Wednesday averaging 29 points per game, tied with Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant for the highest mark in the NBA.

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L.A. Clippers At Portland
When: 10:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 26, 2013
Where: Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon
TV: 10 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Los Angeles), KGW (Portland)
Prediction: Trail Blazers 96, Clippers 91.

Oddsmakers currently have the Clippers listed as 2-point favorites versus the Trail Blazers, while the game’s total is sitting at 192.

Reserve guard Jamal Crawford scored 25 points when Los Angeles defeated Portland 103-90 on Nov. 8 in the first meeting between the teams. Crawford scored 21 points in the loss to Phoenix for his fourth 20-point outing in six games. Crawford is averaging 16.7 points in a good bounce-back campaign after one lackluster season in Portland. Crawford averaged 14 points for the Trail Blazers but shot just 38.4 percent from the field. Eric Bledsoe has just seven total assists while filling in for Paul over the past two games. Bledsoe averages 8.9 points and 2.7 assists.

Last time out for Los Angeles, they were a 93-88 loser as they battled the Suns on the road. The Clippers failed to cover in the match as a 6.5-point favorite, while 181 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 32-12 SU, 25-19 ATS
Current streak: lost 3 straight games.
LA Clippers are 4-1 SU in their last 5 games when playing Portland
LA Clippers are 19-6 SU in their last 25 games
LA Clippers are 10-4 SU in their last 14 games on the road
The total has gone OVER in 8 of the LA Clippers last 12 games when playing on the road against Portland
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing Portland are 6-4
After playing Phoenix are 9-1
After a loss are 4-6

Forward LaMarcus Aldridge is headed to the All-Star Game for the second straight season after being picked as a Western Conference reserve. “It means a lot to me,” Aldridge said. “Hopefully I can be a three- and four-time All-Star also.” Aldridge and Miami’s LeBron James are the only players averaging more than 20 points and eight rebounds. Aldridge’s marks are 20.7 and 8.8, respectively. “I’m very happy for LaMarcus, he is the foundation of what we are building here,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “He is very deserving of this honor and I’m glad he was recognized by my fellow coaches.” Aldridge has nine double-doubles in January and had 27 points on 12-of-17 shooting in Wednesday’s victory.

Last time out for Portland, they were a 100-80 winner as they battled the Pacers at home. The Trail Blazers covered in the match as a 1-point favorite, while 180 combined points moved the game UNDER for totals bettors.

Team record: 21-21 SU, 19-21-2 ATS
The total has gone UNDER in 5 of last 6 games at home
is 19-6 SU in their last 25 games when playing at home against LA Clippers
is 13-5 SU in its last 18 games at home
is 13-6 SU in their last 19 games when playing LA Clippers
When playing on Saturday are 4-6
Before playing LA Clippers are 8-2
After playing Indiana are 1-9
After a win are 6-4

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2013 NBA All-Star Starters
Eastern Conference
Player Votes
LeBron James, MIA 1,583,646
Carmelo Anthony, NYK 1,460,950
Dwyane Wade, MIA 1,052,310
Rajon Rondo, BOS 924,180
Kevin Garnett, BOS 553,222
Western Conference
Player Votes
Kobe Bryant, LAL 1,591,437
Kevin Durant, OKC 1,504,047
Chris Paul, LAC 929,155
Dwight Howard, LAL 922,070
Blake Griffin, LAC 863,832

Lakers teammate Dwight Howard and the Clippers’ Chris Paul and Blake Griffin will join Bryant in the Western Conference lineup for the Feb. 17 game in Houston. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, the MVP of last year’s game, rounds out the five.

Kevin Garnett held off Chris Bosh in fan balloting, giving the East two Boston Celtics and two Miami Heat players. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade will represent the defending champions and receive passes from Rajon Rondo. New York’s Carmelo Anthony is the other starter.

Bryant finished with 1,591,437 votes, edging James by about 7,800 to finish as the leading vote-getter and break a tie with Shaquille O’Neal, Jerry West and Karl Malone for the most consecutive starting nods.

The NBA’s leading scorer is a four-time MVP of the All-Star Game and last year became its career scoring leader.

Garnett beat Bosh, who took to Twitter to stump for votes in the final days of balloting, by about 25,000 votes. He tied Bryant and O’Neal for second all time with his 15th selection behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was selected to 19 games.

It’s the second straight year that Los Angeles teams will make up four players. Last year it was Bryant, Paul, Griffin and Andrew Bynum, who was dealt to Philadelphia in part of the deal that sent Howard from Orlando to the Lakers.

The ballot changed this season, eliminating the center position. Fans were required to vote for three frontcourt players and two guards.

They picked an interesting mix in the East. Anthony and Garnett exchanged words during a game on Jan. 7, and Anthony was suspended one game by the NBA when he tried to confront Garnett afterward in the tunnel area at Madison Square Garden and by the team bus.

Rondo was injured in the playoffs two years ago after getting tangled up with Wade and landing awkwardly on his arm, part of what’s become a tense rivalry between the Celtics and Heat.

Reserves will be announced next Thursday. Coaches will vote for seven players in their conferences: two guards, three frontcourt players and two players regardless of position. They can’t vote for a player on their own team.

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Datsyuk is one of a number of players who went to the Kontinental Hockey League during the NHL lockout. Now that players and owners have reached a tentative agreement to end the lockout, the KHL has needed to replace several selections to its All-Star Game. But a spokesman for the Russian league says Datsyuk and New Jersey Devils star Ilya Kovalchuk are still expected to participate.

NHL players have until Saturday to vote on the new labor deal that would end the four-month lockout. If a majority of players choose to accept the deal, training camps will open Sunday, and a 48-game regular season will begin Jan. 19.

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