spoke with (Red Wings GM) Ken Holland about my retirement and tha

ATLANTA -- Kyle Korver was just ready to get out of the house and return to what he does best -- shoot 3-pointers. Missing four games with a rib injury caused Korver to delay his quest of tying the NBA record for consecutive games with a 3. "Im glad its done," he said. "It was a long period of time. I think the happiest person was probably my wife. I was just not fun to be around the last five days at the house." Korver scored a season-high 23 points and tied the NBA record for consecutive games with a 3-pointer in the Atlanta Hawks 107-97 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night. Paul Millsap finished with 25 points and Al Horford added 21 to help the Hawks snap a two-game losing streak. Blake Griffin scored 24 points and Chris Paul had 19 points and 11 assists as the Clippers lost their second straight. Korver tied Dana Barros 18-year-old record by hitting a 3-pointer in his 89th straight game. Barros set the mark during stints with Philadelphia and Boston from Dec. 23, 1994, to Jan. 10, 1996. Korver began his streak last season in Atlantas second game -- a win at Oklahoma City. On Wednesday, he made his first attempt in the first minute and finished 6 for 9 beyond the arc. "The first play of the game, Korver got a 3, and that was indicative of our defence all night," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said. "We had chances to get back in the game." With 5:06 remaining, Korver drew a foul from Paul as he hit a 3 from the right corner and finished the four-point play to make it 96-83. A little over a minute later, Horford fed Korver on the left wing for a 3 that gave the Hawks a 99-88 lead. "Were all just happy to see Kyle healthy," Atlanta coach Mike Budenholzer said. "Hes a heck of a shooter and he showed that tonight." For Korver, Atlantas next game -- Friday at home against Cleveland -- will decide if he passes Barros and takes the top spot in the NBA record book. "It really is a team streak," Korver said. "Im not out there creating those shots. I dont want to make a speech, but there are a lot of people to thank." Rivers pulled his top four starters and sixth man Jamal Crawford after DeMarre Carrolls two free throws made it 103-88 with 2:54 remaining. Los Angeles was beginning a seven-game road trip and has battled several injuries early in the season. Willie Green scored nine points while starting his second straight game in place of J.J. Redick, who could miss six to eight weeks with a broken bone in his right hand and torn ligaments in his right wrist. Redick averaged 15.8 points in 17 games, tied with Crawford for the teams third-best average behind Griffin and Paul. Paul, playing his second straight game with a strained right hamstring, combined with Crawford and starting forward Jared Dudley to go 1 for 12 on 3-point attempts. Despite finishing with his 16th double-double in 18 games this season, Paul was disappointed in his teams defence. "Weve got to stop talking about it and weve got to figure out how were going to stop teams," Paul said. "I am surprised because we know what to do. Thats the tough part about it. Its not on the coaches, its on us in the locker room." The Clippers are also playing without forward Matt Barnes, who has a torn retina in his left eye. Pauls 16-footer cut the lead to 79-74 early in the fourth, but Lou Williams responded with a 3 from the right baseline on Atlantas ensuing possession, and Millsaps runner in the lane with 9:10 remaining pushed the lead back to 10. Paul put the onus on himself, Griffin and centre DeAndre Jordan to lead by example. "Part of its effort," he said. "Part of its pride. Weve got to step it up. Its a long road trip, man. This is not a good start. Youre not going to win too many games when you let the other team shoot 51 per cent from the field." The Hawks used a 22-9 run in the first quarter to go up 29-17 on Shelvin Macks runner. Los Angeles pulled within six early in the second on consecutive jumpers by Crawford, but Atlanta took its biggest first-half lead at 15 on Horfords dunk with 1:19 left in the second. NOTES: Atlanta G Jeff Teague struggled against Paul, finishing with six points, six assists, four turnovers and five fouls. ... Hawks rookie G Dennis Schroder, the NBAs 17th overall draft pick, has been assigned to Bakersfield of the development league. Budenholzer said the 20-year-old German wasnt going to get enough playing time behind Teague, Williams and Mack. ... The Hawks have won four straight at home against the Clippers and six of the previous eight overall. Chicago White Sox Gear . TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted that its believed the Flames are working towards a new contract with the defenceman. Fake White Sox Jerseys . City has reached new heights under manager Manuel Pellegrini as they transition from big spending/immediate impact to perennial contender. Yaya Toures seeming discontent Tuesday may complicate that, as does the little issue of Financial Fair Play. https://www.cheapwhitesox.com/ .com) - American Madison Keys grabbed a first- round victory on Sunday in a rainy start to the Apia International Sydney tournament. Chicago White Sox Shirts . Wiggins, a 6-foot-8, 200-pound forward who plays his first exhibition game on Wednesday against Pitt State, was the top prospect in the class of 2013. Custom Chicago White Sox Jerseys .The third-seeded Murray, who won here in 2009, will face seventh-seeded Kevin Anderson of South Africa next on the indoor hard court.OTTAWA - Daniel Alfredsson laced up his skates at his old stall in the Senators locker-room and put on the No. 11 jersey with the C on the chest just like old times. Except this was anything like old times.Players stepped onto the ice for warm-ups and made a receiving line for the man who earlier in the day announced his retirement. They tapped their sticks and Alfredsson saluted the adoring crowd for the first of many times as Alfie chants rained down.A remix of Alfredssons former goal song and one of his favourites, U2s Beautiful Day played. This was a one-of-a-kind moment for a one-of-a-kind face of the franchise.The traditional countdown to 11 minutes on the clock happened even before the game against the New York Islanders. Alfredsson met with team leaders Erik Karlsson, Chris Phillips and Chris Neil as he always used to, took a few line rushes and got to take part in his favourite post-practice game of keep-away.Karlsson, the ninth captain in Senators history and Alfredssons best friend on the team, even took the C off his jersey for warm-ups.While the Islanders went about their business, no Ottawa player left the ice until Alfredsson took one last lap with his stick raised to the fans. The 41-year-old, who signed a ceremonial one-day contract in order to retire with the Senators, left the ice to the sounds of Green Day singing I hope you had the time of your life.A video montage set to more U2 led in the rest of the pre-game ceremony. In addition to listing Alfredssons accomplishments, the final message read: The Greatest Ottawa Senator of All-Time.Alfredsson took one more lap, with the spotlight on him, and stood at centre ice waiting for wife Bibbi and sons Hugo, Loui, Fenix and William Erik to join him. With the boys wearing Karlsson jerseys, they took their place on the red carpet like Ottawa royalty, and Alfredsson thanked the fans for all the great moments and all the beautiful memories.He didnt want to say goodbye. The Alfredsson family sang along to O Canada, and then the former captain and the current captain had a ceremonial faceoff with the puck dropped by the kids.Alfredsson, who promised this year would be for his family, skated off alongside his wife as he left the ice at Canadian Tire Centre for the final time.On Thursday morning, Alfredsson reflected on the time of his life spent with the Senators as he called it a career. With family, friends and former teammates watching, the longtime captain read the speech he rehearsed 10 or 15 times and teared up reading to a friend over the phone.Alfredsson announced his retirement in the nations capital, his adopted hometown, the place he played 17 of his 18 NHL seasons. The captain from 1999 through 2013 who left 17 months ago to sign with the Detroit Red Wings got to put on his old sweater for one more day.The Senators pulled out all the stops to honour Alfredsson on what unofficially became Alfie Day in Ottawa. With his wife and sons in the front row and former teammates like Karlsson and Wade Redden looking on, the face of the franchise bid adieu, a decision prompted by lingering back problems.Alfredsson, who had 444 goals and 713 assists in 1,246 NHL games, tried to rehab the injury. If he played one more season, it would have been for the Red Wings.According to Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, he and general manager Bryan Murray would have welcomed him back to Ottawa.During the summer we spoke a couple of times, but it was more about how he felt and whether he could play 100 per cent, Melnyk said. Bryan and I said, Look, give us 80 per cent, were happy. And he would not play unless he was 100 per cent.Remembered fondly for the goal he scored against the Buffalo Sabres to send the Senators to the Stanley Cup final in 2007, for the love fest at the 2012 all-star game and for winning a gold medal with Sweden at the 2006 Olympics, Alfredsson also knows his career was marked with phone calls and major decisions.It began with the decision to leave Goteborg, Sweden at 22 to play for the Senators, who drafted him in the sixxth round in 1994.dddddddddddd Alfredsson was glad he and Bibbi, his girlfriend at the time, made the leap.One evening nearly 20 years ago a young man in a small town in Sweden got a phone call that would change his life, Alfredsson said. We began an incredible new chapter of our lives in your town starting in August 1995. Our marvellous boys were born here, and we grew from youngsters into aging parents. You made your town our town.Ottawa was Alfredssons town in his Calder Trophy season in 1995-96 and through 15 playoff appearances. One of his favourite memories was seeing thousands of people lined up along the street to celebrate the trip to the Cup final.It was an incredible experience to play hockey with so many great players, so many great friends over so many great seasons, he said. I really realize that Im a very lucky guy.Back problems flared up in 2011, what Alfredsson called signals that all these years of hockey had a cost.I worked hard to fight it off and I got some great help along the way, he said. But in the back of my mind, I still knew that the clock is ticking.With the clock ticking on his career, Alfredsson got to a crossroads in the summer of 2013, after he decided to continue playing but did not have a contract to return to the Senators. On the morning of June 29, he said he got a call from an old Swedish pal.This call started a process that would launch the next chapter in our lives, Alfredsson said of signing with Detroit. It was a very, very hard decision to make: changing teams, uproot my family, start over again in a new place. But change helps you grow.No doubt the relationship between Alfredsson and the Senators organization was strained by his departure. But during and after an off-and-on injury season with the Red Wings that still included him tying for the team lead in scoring, Alfredsson stayed in touch with Murray.I have great respect for Daniel and I know he has great respect for the Senators for what happened here, said Murray, who coached Alfredsson for two seasons, including 2006-07. It wasnt very hard for us to get together and talk. He took me for a drive in his new car. He drove me out to my old house in Birmingham (Michigan). He showed me where he lived. We had I think mutual respect for each other all along.Setbacks in Alfredssons rehab kept him from playing and forced him to make one final decision.It finally came to the point: Could I play a little bit? Maybe, Alfredsson said. I dont know what I price I would have had to pay down the road. I felt it was no fun just being on the edge or on the cliff of maybe or maybe not playing. It just felt right.It wouldnt have felt right to the Senators if Alfredsson had said his goodbye to the NHL in Detroit. Again, the phone rang.Bryan said he and Mr. Melnyk had spoken and had an idea that I should not end my career in Detroit but with a proper retirement here in our adopted hometown, Alfredsson recalled. I spoke with (Red Wings GM) Ken Holland about my retirement and that Bryan and Mr. Melnyk wanted me to retire as an Ottawa Senator, and Ken encouraged me to retire here. He said its the right thing to do.Alfredsson, lauded not just for his Hall of Fame hockey career but his charitable contributions in Ottawa, is about as normal a person as a superstar athlete can be. To him, this felt like too much.I never believed that my career entitled me to any special treatment, Alfredsson said. However Bibbi and I both agreed this was the right thing to do and it would give us a chance to say thank you to the people and the fans of Ottawa.Alfredsson received a lengthy standing ovation after his speech of 749 words, including four in French for the bilingual market he represented: Merci et a bientot. He doesnt know how soon he might get back into hockey but is reserving this year for his family and for himself to reflect on his career.Im just very grateful for this opportunity to say thank you and goodbye, Alfredsson said. And please no more phone calls for a while.---Follow @SWhyno on Twitter ' ' '