Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/465103
ByJoshDubow TheAssociatedPress SACRAMENTO Aftermorethan 1,100 wins, a trip to the NBA Fi- nals, and a Coach of the Year award in his final season in Den- ver, George Karl still feels he has some unfinished business in the NBA. So Karl left a cushy job as a television analyst to take over one of the league's least suc- cessful teams when he was in- troduced Tuesday as the new coach of a Sacramento Kings team that has lost the second most games in the NBA over the past nine seasons. "I've missed the gym and I love the game," Karl said. "I wanted one more shot to try to win a championship." He is joining a team that is far from that level, having not made the playoffs nor had a win- ning record since 2005-06. Karl is the third coach this season for the Kings, taking over for Tyrone Corbin, who lasted just two months after replacing the fired Michael Malone. The second in-season change comes after general manager Pete D'Alessandro committed to Corbin for the rest of the season. But after watching the team go 7-21 under Corbin fol- lowing a promising 11-13 start under Malone, D'Alessandro de- cided to make another change to a coach he was familiar with from his time in the front office in Denver when Karl was on the sideline. "You get to the point where you say I know who I want to coach the team and he's avail- able," D'Alessandro said. "Some- times, you have to acknowledge what we've done is wrong." Karl had been watching the Kings closely in his job as an an- alyst at ESPN and said he saw a team that lost confidence in re- cent weeks. He wants to spend the final 30 games trying to build that back up and figure out what kind of players he has heading into the offseason. "I think there's enough tal- ent on this team to win games, enough talent to come back and connect with one another in a way that you can be a solid to good basketball team night in and night out," Karl said. "It will take some time." Karl last coached in the 2012- 13 season, when he won NBA Coach of the Year with the Nug- gets before being fired following a first-round playoff loss to the Warriors. The Nuggets made the post- season all nine years under Karl. They advanced past the first round only once during his tenure, losing to the Los Ange- les Lakers in the 2009 Western Conference finals. "I never really totally under- stood what happened in Den- ver," Karl said. "I knew that how we were playing I had to do it again because I thought there were things happening there that were really good but could be better." The 63-year-old Karl, a two- time cancer survivor, is one of nine coaches in league history to surpass 1,000 wins. He has 1,131 victories as a head coach, with stops in Cleveland, Golden State, Seattle and Milwaukee, earning a reputation for turn- ing around teams. NBA Karlintroducedas3rd Kingscoachofseason Sacramentohires63-year-oldwithmore than 1,100 wins, some unfinished business RICHPEDRONCELLI—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS George Karl was introduced as the new head coach of the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. Karl becomes the team's third head coach this season, replacing Tyrone Corbin who took over the team a er Michael Malone was fired last December. By Teresa M. Walker The Associated Press NASHVILLE,TENN. Pekka Rinne made a season-high 42 saves, and the Nashville Predators ex- tended their winning streak to a season-high six straight games by beating the San Jose Sharks 5-1 Tuesday night. The Predators scored five unanswered goals for the win. Craig Smith scored twice, and Shea Weber scored and had an assist. Paul Gaustad and James Neal each had a goal, and Mike Ribeiro had two assists as the Predators padded their lead atop the NHL standings to 84 points, six ahead of Montreal. Matt Irwin scored for San Jose. The Sharks, losers of two straight, are 1-4-1 with the Kings looming Saturday at Levi's Sta- dium. An ice storm that hit Tennes- see on Monday left thousands without power and area roads either closed or covered with crashes Tuesday morning. With the season winding down and the Sharks already in town, they NHL Predators beat Sharks for sixth straight San Jose has gone 1-4-1 in last six games with Kings looming Saturday at Levi's Stadium MARK HUMPHREY — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Irwin (right) scores a goal against Nashville Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the first period Tuesday in Nashville, Tenn. PREDATORS5,SHARKS1 Up next: San Jose Sharks at Dal- las Stars, 5:30p.m. Thursday, TV on CSN-CA. THESCORE By Janie McCauley The Associated Press OAKLAND Left-hander Barry Zito is returning to the Oakland Athletics with a minor league contract that includes an invita- tion to major league spring train- ing, two people with knowledge of the agreement said Tuesday. The people, speaking on con- dition of anonymity because the A's hadn't announced the signing, said Zito would receive a $1 mil- lion, one-year contract if added to the 40-man roster. The deal was first reported by the San Fran- cisco Chronicle. Oakland's pitchers and catch- ers report to the club's new spring training home in Mesa, Arizona, on Thursday, with the first work- out the following day. Zito, 36, did not pitch last sea- son. He was taken by Oakland in the first round of the 1999 am- ateur draft and began his ma- jor league career with the A's the following year. He signed a $126 million, seven-year contract be- fore the 2007 season to join the San Francisco Giants but had a largely disappointing stint across the bay. He was left off the post- season roster for all three rounds in a 2010 championship run, then helped San Francisco win another World Series in 2012. Zito could earn $175,000 in per- formance bonuses: $25,000 each for five, 10, 15, 18, 20, 23 and 25 starts. While he could earn a ro- tation spot early in the season, Oakland hopes to have a pair of BASEBALL Sources: Zito back with A's on minor deal Former Giants le -hander goes back to original club TONY AVELAR — ASSOCIATED PRESS FILE Le -hander Barry Zito is returning to the Oakland Athletics with a minor league deal. Staff Reports RED BLUFF It is time for the An- nual Recruitment Golf Game for the Oak Creek Women's Golf Club. The golf game will be held on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Oak Creek Golf Course, 2620 Mont- gomery Road in Red Bluff. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. Tee-off is scheduled for 9 a.m. The green fees for the 18 holes of golf are $20 per person and $12 per person for nine holes. Carts are available, but lim- ited, for a fee of $24 per cart for 18 holes or $12 per cart for nine holes. If you have any questions, please call the Oak Creek Golf Course. If rained out, the game will be played on March 7, with the same time schedule. The Oak Creek Women's Golf Club plays Tuesdays at 9 a.m. ev- ery week, new faces and all levels of play are welcome. Call 529-0674 for more infor- mation. GOLF Oak Creek to hold annual recruitment game Feb. 28 As Jeff Gordon winds down his long career, the kid who grew up idolizing him is just getting started. Elk Grove's Kyle Larson is ready to be- come NASCAR's next super- star this season. NASCAR SPRINT CUP Larsonreadytotakeon NASCAR superstardom FULL STORY ON PAGE B2 The Obama administration put its new deportation-relief program on hold Tuesday on the eve of its launch, comply- ing reluctantly with a federal judge's order that roiled im- migrant communities. IMMIGRATION White House puts plans on hold a er ruling FULL STORY ON PAGE B5 The Corning Lady Cardinals open the Division 2soccer playoffs at 3p.m. Thursday, when they host the visiting Yreka Lady Miners. DIVISION 2 PLAYOFFS Lady Cardinals host Yreka Thursday The Red Bluff Spartans boys and girls soccer teams play in the first round of the Division 1playoffs Thursday. The Lady Spartans are at Chico at 1p.m. The boys play at Paradise at 6p.m. DIVISION 1 PLAYOFFS Red Bluff boys, girls soccer play Thursday ZITO PAGE 2 KINGS PAGE 2 SHARKS PAGE 2 SPORTS » redbluffdailynews.com Wednesday, February 18, 2015 MORE AT FACEBOOK.COM/RBDAILYNEWS AND TWITTER.COM/REDBLUFFNEWS B1