ew Page 1251 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Knicks look to lock-in Eastern Conference playoff seed against No. 1 Cavs
The New York Knicks didn't want to show the Detroit Pistons too much Thursday night in a potential preview of a first-round matchup in the upcoming NBA playoffs.,But the Knicks could certainly use a statement-type effort Friday night, when they close out their home schedule by hosting the Eastern Co...

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...

Heat, after crushing loss, aim to improve seeding vs. Pelicans
The Miami Heat have a chance to improve their position for the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with two games left in the regular season.,The 10th-place Heat (36-44) will visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday. The Heat missed an opportunity to move into ninth place when they dropped a 119-1...

On verge of elimination, Red Wings face off with Lightning
The window has not completely shut on the Detroit Red Wings' playoff chances, but the gap to the windowsill is shrinking fast and about to be latched.,Chasing the No. 2 wild-card spot held by the hot Montreal Canadiens, Detroit will complete a Sunshine State back-to-back set when it faces the Tampa ...

Knicks face No. 1 Cavs, look to lock in No. 3 seed in East
The New York Knicks didn't want to show the Detroit Pistons too much Thursday night in a potential preview of a first-round matchup in the NBA playoffs.,But the Knicks certainly could use a statement-type effort Friday night when they close their home schedule by hosting the Eastern Conference-leadi...

Magic, Pacers meet with an eye on playoffs
With their postseason spots nearly set, the Indiana Pacers and visiting Orlando Magic might choose to rest a few starters when the teams meet on Friday night.,Indiana (49-31) clinched a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 114-112 home win over the Clevela...

Hawks' Zaccharie Risacher rides momentum into Philadelphia
Zaccharie Risacher continues to prove the doubters wrong.,The 20-year-old Atlanta forward will look to build off a career-high scoring performance when the Hawks visit the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.,As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 draft, Risacher faced plenty of skeptics, even while deliver...

Pistons, Bucks open two-game set with seeding on line
The Detroit Pistons thrived in a playoff-style atmosphere on Thursday. Their last two regular-season games could have postseason implications as well.,Detroit faces the Milwaukee Bucks in back-to-back games on Friday and Sunday.,The first of those games will be held in Detroit, with the rematch in M...

Bullpen carries Padres into home series vs. Rockies
The San Diego Padres were down three everyday players for their series finale against the Athletics on Wednesday.,However, their lockdown bullpen was intact, allowing them to earn a 2-1 win with a patchwork lineup and take a series to return home with the major leagues' best record at 10-3.,San Dieg...

Alec Bohm, Phillies aim for bounce-back effort vs. Cards
The Philadelphia Phillies generally have thrived on offense while winning eight of their first 12 games this season.,The major exception to the team's solid start at the plate is third baseman Alec Bohm, who is 1-for-23 over the past five games, dropping his average to .160. He hit .280 with 15 home...

Thriving despite injuries, Tigers try to keep Twins down
The Detroit Tigers enjoyed a day off Thursday after a 5-1 homestand catapulted them to the top of the American League Central.,Now the work resumes.,The Tigers will look to stay hot when they open a three-game series against the rival Minnesota Twins on Friday night in Minneapolis. It marks the star...

Braves, Rays aim to put rocky starts behind them
The first two weeks of the season were not supposed to go like this for the Atlanta Braves and Tampa Bay Rays, who are both accustomed to winning and competing in the postseason.,If the early results are any indication, they could have plenty of free time in October.,The clubs will begin a three-gam...

Offense may be scarce when Red Sox visit White Sox
"Let's get some runs" is typically the domain of Chicago's North Side, where it's a common refrain at Wrigley Field should the Cubs be trailing at the seventh-inning stretch.,A weekend series between the host Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox could use an infusion of offense, though.,The White So...

Frustrated Orioles open homestand vs. Blue Jays
There's no reason for the Baltimore Orioles to panic, but they sure would like to pick up the pace.,Coming off a challenging road trip, they open a homestand with Friday night's game against the Toronto Blue Jays in the first of a three-game set.,"I don't think it's urgency right now," Baltimore man...

Braves RF Ronald Acuna Jr. (knee) to be evaluated next week
Former National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. will have his surgically repaired left knee examined next week, Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker said Thursday.,Acuna tore his left anterior cruciate ligament on May 26 and underwent surgery on June 6. The right fielder will be re-evaluated in Los Ange...

Angels ride surprising offense to struggling Houston
A historic power surge propelled the Los Angeles Angels to an impressive road win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday and continued a surprisingly hot start to this season.,The Angels clubbed six home runs in an 11-1 victory that secured the rubber match of their three-game series with the Rays. The...

Cubs acquire LHP Tom Cosgrove from Padres for cash
The Chicago Cubs obtained left-handed reliever Tom Cosgrove from the San Diego Padres on Thursday for cash considerations.,Cosgrove, 28, was recently designated for assignment by the Padres.,Chicago designated right-hander Caleb Kilian for assignment to open up a 40-man roster spot.,Cosgrove is 1-3 ...

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 ...

Hot hitters square off as Brewers visit Diamondbacks
Late in spring training, Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio was asked to rate his confidence level on a scale of 1 to 10. ,"Twenty," Chourio told MLB.com.,He is playing like it -- and he is not alone.,Chourio and Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Corbin Carroll are two of the hottest hitters...

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...