"This homecoming didn't go nearly as well for Al Jefferson as his last one did.

Then again, you might've expected that, considering Big Al faced his rookie club, the mighty Boston Celtics, and not Minnesota.

After a warm reception at the TD Garden, Jefferson had one of his roughest outings in a Utah uniform. The 6-10 big man only scored seven points with five rebounds against the team that drafted him out of the small Mississippi town of Prentiss in 2004.

That was a far cry from his first return to the Twin Cities a month ago, when his huge outing included 23 points, nine rebounds and seven blocked shots in a thrilling win.

Jefferson balked at the suggestion that being in Boston again factored into his struggles, which included 1-for-11 shooting.

"That's my fourth time playing back in Boston. There's no nerves," Jefferson said. "I just missed shots. It's just one of these nights. I had good looks, I had my shots and I missed.""