et Page 270 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Blue Jackets face must-win game vs. playoff-ready Caps
The visiting Washington Capitals continue their pursuit of the Presidents' Trophy when they open a home-and-home series against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday.,The Capitals (50-19-9, 109 points) trail the Winnipeg Jets by three points for the top seed in the NHL playoffs but have a game in ha...

Nuggets on verge of playoff spot ahead of game vs. Grizzlies
After recording a much-needed win on the road, the Denver Nuggets hope to secure a playoff position in their final home game of the regular season Friday night against the Memphis Grizzlies.,The Nuggets (48-32) sit in fourth place in the crowded Western Conference heading into Friday night's game. T...

Wolves host Nets, seek to escape play-in round
The Minnesota Timberwolves are poised to make a last-minute rise up the Western Conference standings with two winnable games remaining on the season, starting with the Brooklyn Nets in Minneapolis on Friday.,Eighth-place Minnesota (47-33) is in a three-way tie with the Golden State Warriors and Memp...

Connor Hellebuyck, Jets blank Stars, close in on division title
Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 24 shots, earning his league-leading eighth shutout of the season, as the visiting Winnipeg Jets blanked the Dallas Stars 4-0 on Thursday, tightening their grip on home-ice advantage.,Kyle Connor scored twice in the third period for the first-place Jets (54-21-4, 112 p...

Zaccharie Risacher's career high helps Hawks' playoff positioning
Rookie Zaccharie Risacher scored 23 of his career-high 38 points in the first half as the Atlanta Hawks started fast, never let up and cruised to a 133-109 rout of the Brooklyn Nets Thursday night in New York.,The Hawks (38-42) won for just the third time in their past nine games and are two games b...

Blue Jackets rally in third period to edge Sabres
The Columbus Blue Jackets scored twice in less than three minutes in the third period to rally for a 3-2 win against the visiting Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.,James van Riemsdyk, Zach Aston-Reese and Boone Jenner scored for the Blue Jackets (36-32-9, 81 points), who have won two in a row and after a ...

Stingy Mets prepare to face Athletics in hitter-friendly park
Pitchers for the New York Mets had little trouble thriving in Houston, Miami or at home.,The difficulty level might be raised a bit Friday night, though, when the Mets open a six-game road trip by visiting the Athletics in Sacramento, Calif.,Right-hander Griffin Canning (0-1, 2.79 ERA) is slated to ...

At UFC 314, Alexander Volkanovski back in Octagon after 14 months
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski returns to the Octagon for the first time in 14 months opposite Diego Lopes for the vacant featherweight title at UFC 314 on Saturday night in Miami.,Ilia Topuria, who knocked out Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) in the main event of UFC 298, d...

Lakers take aim at No. 3 spot vs. No. 2 seed Rockets
The Los Angeles Lakers have clinched a playoff spot but they still have plenty to play for with two games remaining in the regular season.,Los Angeles can move closer to grabbing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference when it hosts the second-place Houston Rockets on Friday night.,The Lakers (49-3...

Kazakhstan beats Australia to open Billie Jean King Cup qualifying
World No. 10 Elena Rybakina helped her Kazakhstan team defeat Australia 2-1 on the first day of Billie Jean King Cup qualifying Thursday in Brisbane, Australia.,After Yulia Putintseva beat Maya Joint 6-2, 6-1, Rybakina ensured Kazakhstan clinched a point in Group D by taking down Kimberly Birrell 6-...

Celtics set for final playoff prep with a pair vs. Hornets
A pair of teams with not much at stake will meet Friday when the Charlotte Hornets visit the Boston Celtics.,Boston (59-21) is locked in as the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs and rested its top six players throughout Wednesday's 96-76 loss at Orlando. A victory would have given the C...

Predators coach Andrew Brunette back after 2-game absence
Nashville Predators coach Andrew Brunette rejoined the team Thursday after missing two games for a personal matter.,Brunette, 51, issued a statement saying he will be back behind the bench for Thursday night's game against the Utah Hockey Club in Salt Lake City.,"I'd like to thank ownership and (gen...
MLB Player Prop Best Bet: Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians, April 10
April 10th's top MLB prediction is a player prop for today's Chicago White Sox vs. Cleveland Guardians game....

T.J. Watt's cryptic post invites questions about future with Steelers
All-Pro linebacker T.J. Watt caused a stir over social media by posting a picture in which he flashed two fingers and left plenty open to interpretation about his future with the Pittsburgh Steelers.,The since-deleted post on Instagram included no text or explanation. Does it mean he's at peace with...

Pistons G Jaden Ivey (leg) cleared for basketball activity
Detroit Pistons guard Jaden Ivey, sidelined since Jan. 1 with a broken left fibula, was cleared on Thursday to resume basketball activities.,The team said Ivey, 23, is entering the first phase of a re-conditioning program and that his status will be updated again in two weeks.,The Pistons (43-36) ha...

Nikola Jokic: Nuggets provided notice Mike Malone was being fired
Before the axe fell on head coach Michael Malone in Denver, ownership made three-time MVP Nikola Jokic aware of the move ahead of meeting with the since-fired team brass on Tuesday afternoon. ,Malone, who guided the Nuggets to the NBA title in 2023, was fired and general manager Calvin Booth was inf...

Reports: Jets WR Allen Lazard takes $8.5M pay cut to stay
With no guaranteed money left on his contract and most of his former Green Bay Packers compadres sent packing, wide receiver Allen Lazard agreed to a reduction in pay to remain with the New York Jets, according to multiple reports. ,The Jets had no contractual assurances remaining to Lazard, 29, who...
Top NCAA Basketball Futures: Best Bets for the 2025–26 Championship
Get ahead of the game with top NCAA basketball futures picks for the 2025–26 season. See which teams offer the best value to win the national title....

James Harden's 35 points propel Clippers past Rockets
James Harden scored 35 points and Ivica Zubac added 20 in his first career triple-double as the Los Angeles Clippers continued their quest for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 134-117 victory over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.,Kawhi Leonard score...

Nuggets hold off Kings to win interim coach's debut
A day removed from the surprise firing of coach Michael Malone, the Denver Nuggets pulled out of a four-game losing streak with a 124-116 road win over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday.,Denver (48-32), playing its first game under interim coach David Adelman, led almost the entire way in a game cru...