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OAKLAND (AP) — Speedy out- fielder Willy Taveras has been released by the Oakland Athletics, eight days after he was acquired from Cincinnati with infielder Adam Ros- ales for infielder Aaron Miles and a player to be named. Taveras had been designated for assignment immediately following the Feb. 1 trade. The Athletics owe his $4 million salary in the final season of a $6.25 million, two-year contract that he signed with the Reds, but that would be reduced by the $400,000 minimum if he signs with another team. Taveras hit .240 with one homer and 15 RBIs for Cincin- nati last season. Sports 1B Wednesday February 10, 2010 Wednesday Boys Basketball — Hamilton at Los Molinos, 5:30 p.m. Boys Basketball — Mercy at Chester Boys Basketball — Oroville at Red Bluff, 7:30 p.m. Girls Basketball — Mercy at Chester Soccer — Los Molinos at Liberty Christian NBA — Kings at Pistons, 4:30 p.m., CSNCA Lions tame Mercy By RICH GREENE DN Sports Editor Cameron Vietti picked up a pair of fouls within the opening seconds, Tuesday night, and had to head to the bench. He wasn't the only Warrior taken out of the game. Andrew Baxter and the Redding Christian Lions rolled past Mercy 60-43 in a Tri-Cities League game where the Warriors never got into any sort of rhythm. The Lions broke the game open with a 20-7 second quar- ter and coasted with a 20-point lead in the second half behind 23 points and 12 rebounds from Baxter. Jon Diehl chipped in 11 points for Redding Christian, who improved to 3-0 in the league. The loss dropped Mercy to 1-3 in the Tri-Cities and to 12- 10 on the season. Jeremie Jones led the Warriors with 10 points. Lady Warriors While Redding Christian also beat Mercy in the girls game, the Lady Warriors played stronger as the night wore on in 45-36 loss. Mercy went from eight points to halftime, to nine in the third quarter and then won the fourth quarter 19-16. Natasha Czajka had 15 points and Diana Van ert 14 points. Benicia Grace picked up seven points as the Lady War- riors kept finding ways to get to the free throw line during the fourth quarter. Football coaches needed It's not the coaching position everyone is talking about, but it's still important for the development of Red Bluff football. Red Bluff Youth Football is searching for those inter- ested in being a Jr. Spartans head football coach and for those interested in being a cheer advisor. Interested parties should contact Red Bluff Youth Football President Eric Coats at 209-0232 or by e-mail at rbyspresident@yahoo.com by Feb. 26. McGarity wins tourney Stacey McGarity brought in the heaviest weight of bass at the Red Bluff Bass Anglers' January Bass Fishing Tournament at Shasta Lake. Weather was not optimum, but McGarity brought her five fish limit to the scales and took top honors with 8.41 pounds. McGarity also weighed in the biggest fish at 2.67 pounds. Kings storm back, win in OT to end skid NEW YORK (AP) — The New York crowd that adored Omri Casspi definitely left with an appreciation of Tyreke Evans. Evans led a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback, Kevin Martin scored nine of his 17 points in overtime, and the Sacramento Kings beat the Knicks 118-114 on Tuesday night to end a six- game losing streak. Evans finished with 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, scoring 12 points in the final 7 minutes of regula- tion after the Knicks had built a 15- point lead, repeatedly finding his way into the lane. ''I think the people in New York got a little idea of why we like Tyreke so much,'' Kings coach Paul Westphal said. ''The Garden got kind of quiet when he did that little two-step slippery thing he does. It's something you don't see very often.'' Donte Greene added 24 points and Casspi, cheered throughout by a large Jewish contingent, finished with 18, just two after halftime. Wilson Chandler scored a career- high 35 points for the Knicks, who have lost three straight and six of seven to bring a 19-32 record into the All- Star break. David Lee finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds. Though not as impressive as the Kings' 35-point comeback to beat Chicago earlier this season, this one was also unlikely because they showed no signs of stopping the Knicks until midway through the fourth quarter. New York opened a 98-83 lead with 7:36 to play. Then Evans and Greene combined for Sacramento's next 20 points as the Kings cut it to 105-103 on Evans' bas- ket with 56 seconds remaining. Evans then grabbed the rebound of a Knicks miss, drove into the lane and fed Jason Thompson for a dunk that tied it at 105 with 25 seconds left. ''It went from 15 to 7 in about 30 seconds and then we got tight and did- n't play well and they beat us,'' Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. ''Some- how our spirit is all messed up.'' New York was just 7 of 23 in the fourth quarter against a team that has given up 112 or more points in five straight games. ''We just kept on believing and we knew it was just a matter of time,'' Martin said. ''The Knicks keep on attacking the basket and they let you back in the game, and that's what our game plan was in the last six minutes of the game and overtime.'' Martin, coming off the bench as he plays his way back into form after missing 32 games with a broken left wrist, hit a pair of jumpers early in overtime. He then sank two free throws to give the Kings the lead for good with Ellis has mild knee sprain OAKLAND (AP) — The Golden State Warriors say star guard Monta Ellis has a sprained left knee and could miss Wednesday's game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Ellis injured the knee late in the fourth quarter of Monday night's home loss to Dallas. The team says an MRI on Tuesday determined that the injury is mild. Ellis will be reevaluated Wednesday and his sta- tus for the game will be determined then. The game against the Clippers is the last for Golden State before the All-Star break. Ellis is sixth in the NBA in scoring at 26.2 points per game. The Warriors have lost nine straight games and have the third-worst record in the league. Athletics release Taveras Courtesy photo Stacey McGarity shows off a catch. Daily News photo by Rich Greene Mercy's Royce Crane is fouled, Tuesday night, as he attempts to drive to the basket. Daily News photo by Rich Greene Diana Van Ert drives to the hoop for Mercy. Lady Spartans earn road win DN Staff Report The Lady Spartans picked up a hard fought 39-27 road win at Oroville, Tuesday night, in what was a defensive strug- gle for both teams. Roxy Luppino, had no trou- ble from behind the arc howev- er, sinking 4-of-8 3-pointers on her way to 16 points to lead the Spartans to their second Eastern Athletic League win of the season. Lottie Jones picked up a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Oroville fell to 1-9 in the EAL. Brandi Anthony and Alana Hinkston each had four points for the Lady Spartans and Reba Barn- well, April Allwardt and Ashley Brown had two points each. MCT photo New York Knicks' Nate Robinson and Jared Jeffries try to get the ball away from Sacramento's Andres Nocioni. See KINGS, page 2B