d Page 80 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Thunder host Pacers for first time since NBA Finals Game 7
The last time the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Indiana Pacers, the Thunder left the court with the city's first NBA championship after their Game 7 win., ,Now, just a day over seven months since Oklahoma City's 103-91 win, the teams meet again Friday on opposite ends of the league's spectrum., ,...

Lowly Kings arrive while Cavaliers plan to continue to thrive
Eight wins in their last 12 games have given the Cleveland Cavaliers a much-needed boost into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.,The Cavaliers seek to continue that momentum Friday when the Sacramento Kings make their annual pilgrimage to northeast Ohio.,Point guard Donovan Mitchell sc...

Rising Butler aims for third straight win when Marquette visits
Butler hopes to extend its winning ways when it hosts Marquette on Friday night in Indianapolis.,The Bulldogs (12-7, 3-5 Big East) have won two in a row after their 1-5 start in conference play, including a signature win on the road at then-No. 25 Seton Hall followed by an 87-80 win at home over DeP...

Report: Red Bulls close to deal for G Ethan Horvath
The New York Red Bulls are nearing an agreement to land U.S. goalkeeper Ethan Horvath from Cardiff City in Wales, according to a report from The Athletic.,The club has been searching for stability at goalkeeper after the previous starter, Carlos Coronel, left as a free agent to join Brazilian Serie ...

Miami standout OT Francis Mauigoa entering NFL draft
Miami consensus All-American offensive tackle Francis Mauigoa announced Thursday that he's declaring for the NFL draft.,Mauigoa is expected to be among the top five selections, perhaps as high as No. 3.,Mauigoa dominated at right tackle this season and received the Jacobs Blocking Trophy, awarded to...

Indiana takes 4-game skid into meeting with Rutgers
Indiana football is basking in the afterglow of an undefeated national championship season. The Hoosiers would like for some of that winning to rub off on the basketball team.,Indiana has lost four straight games and needs to right the ship when it heads east to face Rutgers on Friday in Piscataway,...

Reports: Atlanta United acquiring U.S. youth international Adrian Gill
Atlanta United is closing in on a deal to acquire American midfielder Adrian Gill on a permanent transfer from FC Barcelona, multiple outlets reported Thursday.,Gill, 20, is a native of Denver, who was signed to Barcelona's academy in 2018, one year after his family moved to Spain. He was playing fo...

MLS extends transfer window to align with global soccer schedule
In advance of moving to a summer-spring schedule starting in 2027, MLS will officially alter its secondary transfer window to run through September.,The league's primary transfer window will take place Jan. 26-March 26 this year, while the secondary window will run from July 13-Sept. 2. It is the fi...

Mercedes puts new W17 cars to test at Silverstone
Mercedes revealed its 2026 car on Thursday, with team CEO Toto Wolff saying the smaller, narrower and lighter chassis will be up to the challenge for F1's technical shakeups in the upcoming season.,Mercedes drivers George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli ran laps in their cars at England's Silverst...

Senators' David Perron (sports hernia surgery) out 5-7 weeks
Ottawa Senators forward David Perron is expected to undergo sports hernia surgery and be sidelined five to seven weeks, head coach Travis Green announced.,Green noted that Perron has been dealing with the injury for some time.,Perron, 37, has recorded 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 49 games thi...

Rapids sign GK Nico Hansen to new contract
The Colorado Rapids signed goalkeeper Nico Hansen to a new contract Thursday that runs through the 2027-28 season.,The deal includes options for the 2028-29 and 2029-30 campaigns for the 24-year-old Hansen, who made his MLS debut in 2025.,"We're very pleased to secure Nico on a new long-term contrac...

Bob Costas returns to NBC as 'Sunday Night Baseball' host
Veteran sportscaster Bob Costas is returning to NBC Sports to host the "Sunday Night Baseball" pregame show this season.,The network announced Thursday that Costas will debut on March 26 for the prime-time season opener between the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers and visiting Arizona Diamo...

Bucs hire Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Zac Robinson to be their new offensive coordinator on Thursday.,Robinson, 39, held the same position with the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons for the past two seasons.,Robinson is replacing Josh Grizzard, fired earlier this month after his first season on head coach To...

NBC, ESPN set network records for divisional-round games
NBC and ESPN/ABC followed CBS' lead by drawing record numbers for their respective NFL divisional-round games.,On Thursday, NBC announced that it averaged 45.4 million viewers for the Los Angeles Rams' 20-17 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears.,That number from Sunday's game represented an 8% in...

'Humbled' Kurt Busch among trio set to enter NASCAR Hall of Fame
The NASCAR Hall of Fame will induct Kurt Busch, Harry Gant and Ray Hendrick in the Class of 2026 on Friday night in Charlotte, N.C.,Busch, 47, was elected in May, during his first year of eligibility, after winning the 2004 Cup Series championship and 34 races, including the 2010 Coca-Cola 600 and t...

Lynx G Kayla McBride tears quad while training in Turkey
Minnesota Lynx star Kayla McBride sustained a torn right quad muscle while training with Turkish club Fenerbahce Opet in Istanbul.,Per Fenerbahce Opet, there is no timeline for the five-time WNBA All-Star guard's return to the court.,McBride, 33, averaged 14.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.3 rebounds in...

Nathan's hot dog contest to go on under Chinese ownership
No changes are expected at the traditional Nathan's Fourth of July Hot Dog Eating Contest following the sale of the parent company.,Smithfield Foods of Virginia, a subsidiary of the WH Group of China, is finalizing a deal to purchase Nathan's Famous in a $450 million transaction.,A spokesperson for ...

Reports: Buccaneers hiring Zac Robinson as OC
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hiring Zac Robinson to be their new offensive coordinator, multiple outlets reported Thursday.,Robinson, 39, held the same position with the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons for the past two seasons.,Robinson is replacing Josh Grizzard, fired earlier this month after his ...
Jarrett Stidham, the AFC Championship Game, and the Most Unlikely Spotlight
Jarrett Stidham steps into the AFC Championship spotlight as Sean Payton bets big on a career backup with history on his side....

49ers' Christian McCaffrey, 4 QBs finalists for MVP award
Reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen, fellow quarterbacks Trevor Lawrence, Drake Maye and Matthew Stafford, and San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey are the finalists for The Associated Press 2025 MVP award.,They were announced Thursday, as were the finalists for seven other ...