ew Page 1417 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Dash acquire F Yazmeen Ryan from Gotham FC
The Houston Dash acquired two-time NWSL champion forward Yazmeen Ryan from NJ/NY Gotham FC on Friday.,The Dash also received $80,000 in intra-league transfer funds for 2025 in exchange for $400,000 in allocation money and a 2025 international roster slot.,Ryan, 25, was an NWSL Best XI second-team se...

Louisville, without many mainstays, meets Washington in Sun Bowl
The Louisville Cardinals will feature a new look as they head to El Paso, Texas, to face the Washington Huskies in the Sun Bowl on Tuesday.,Coach Jeff Brohm's team will be without starting quarterback Tyler Shough, who threw for 3,195 yards; Ja'Corey Brooks, a 1,000-yard receiver; standout defensive...

Offense clicking, Rockets take on low-scoring Wolves
When the Rockets had their turn in the national spotlight during the NBA Cup semifinals against the Oklahoma City Thunder two weeks ago, poor shooting undermined Houston once again.,On Thursday, the Rockets capped a 3-0 road trip with a 128-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, extending their ...

Celtics pursue consistency against improving Pacers
The Boston Celtics will look to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season when they oppose the visiting Indiana Pacers on Friday night.,The Celtics are coming off losses to the host Orlando Magic (108-104) and the visiting 76ers (118-114). The setback against Philadelphia dropped Bost...

High-scoring Grizzlies to face leaky Pelicans' defense next
The Memphis Grizzlies' offense is on a remarkable roll, setting up a quite favorable matchup on Friday night when they visit a New Orleans Pelicans team that's having a hard time slowing anybody down.,In their last five victories, the Grizzlies have averaged 140.4 points. That includes an NBA season...

Victor Wembanyama focuses on big picture as Spurs face Nets
Victor Wembanyama enjoyed a memorable performance on Wednesday against the New York Knicks but was not a fan of the outcome for the San Antonio Spurs.,After his 42 points and 18 rebounds were not enough to earn visiting San Antonio a victory in his first NBA appearance on Christmas Day, Wembanyama a...

December wins keep coming for Knicks, who visit Magic next
The New York Knicks aim to continue what is shaping up as a December to remember when they face the Orlando Magic to open a three-game road trip on Friday night.,The red-hot Knicks have won 15 of their last 19 games overall, including nine of 11 this month.,The Knicks have already beaten the Magic t...

Report: Mavs star Luca Doncic (calf) out at least a month
Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic will be re-evaluated in a month due to a left calf strain, ESPN reported late Thursday night.,The five-time All-Star sustained the injury during a 105-99 loss to the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. After straining the calf on a seemingly harmless play ...

Grasping at playoff hopes, Dolphins face downtrodden Browns
It's not a desirable position the Miami Dolphins find themselves in heading into their Sunday trip to face the Cleveland Browns.,For the game to have playoff implications, Miami will need the Los Angeles Chargers and Denver Broncos to lose their Saturday games at New England and at Cincinnati, respe...

Encore sets up vastly differently for No. 11 Alabama, Michigan
Alabama and Michigan were part of the four-team College Football Playoff last season, with the Wolverines eventually capturing the national title.,The teams meet again this postseason, albeit on a considerably smaller stage.,The No. 11 Crimson Tide and Michigan look to end underachieving seasons wit...

Penn St. big favorite in CFP quarterfinal, but Boise St. undeterred
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sixth-seeded Penn State and No. 3 seed Boise State enter their College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup on Tuesday with perfect records in their Fiesta Bowl history.,The Broncos, who earned a bye into the matchup in Glendale by winning the Mountain West title, are 3-0 in the ...

Warriors' Stephen Curry will sit out matchup with Clippers
Player availability is the main talking point as the Los Angeles Clippers face the Golden State Warriors on Friday at Inglewood, Calif.,While the Clippers are moving closer to the season debut of Kawhi Leonard, the Warriors will give a day of rest to Stephen Curry on the first night of a back-to-bac...

Mavericks, minus Luka Doncic, open trip in Phoenix
The Dallas Mavericks haven't yet revealed how long star guard Luka Doncic will be sidelined after he injured his left calf on Christmas Day.,But this much is known: Doncic won't be on the court when the Mavericks open a four-game road swing against the Phoenix Suns on Friday night.,Doncic strained t...

Riding win streak, Baylor eager to face LSU in Texas Bowl
LSU began the season hopeful of qualifying for the expanded College Football Playoff., ,Baylor found itself scrambling just to get bowl eligible after a 2-4 start., ,The Tigers (8-4) didn't come close to the CFP, but the Bears (8-4) have won six straight heading into the Texas Bowl in Houston, where...

Vikings, Packers battle for playoff positioning in divisional clash
Sam Darnold has played most of his football on either the East or West Coast. ,After staying home to play his college ball at Southern California, Darnold spent his first three NFL seasons with the New York Jets before stints in Carolina and San Francisco., ,Now that he's in the Upper Midwest, the v...

No. 15 South Carolina, No. 20 Illinois vie for 10th win at Citrus Bowl
South Carolina's best defensive player -- actually, the nation's best defensive player -- won't play in the Citrus Bowl on New Year's Eve. Illinois won't have its all-Big Ten receiver., ,But aside from the Gamecocks' Kyle Kennard and the Fighting Illini's Pat Bryant opting out for NFL Draft purposes...

Lions prepare for NFC Championship rematch vs. banged-up 49ers
The Detroit Lions will know how meaningful their matchup with the San Francisco 49ers on Monday night will carry before they step on the field.,If Minnesota defeats Green Bay on Sunday, the Lions will still have to beat the Vikings in the regular-season finale to take the NFC North and gain the top ...

Pacers F Obi Toppin (left ankle sprain) briefly exits vs. Thunder
Pacers forward Obi Toppin was sidelined for a short time during Indiana's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night after spraining his left ankle in the first quarter.,Toppin slipped while trying to pull up for an elbow jumper 8:22 into the contest and limped to the sideline bef...

Pacers F Obi Toppin (left ankle sprain) exits vs. Thunder
Pacers forward Obi Toppin exited Indiana's home game against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night after spraining his left ankle in the first quarter.,Toppin slipped while trying to pull up for an elbow jumper 8:22 into the contest and limped to the sideline before falling to the floor in pai...

NFL Christmas games on Netflix set streaming records
Despite blowouts in both Christmas Day games, Netflix drew a record audience of nearly 65 million total streaming viewers in the United States for the Kansas City Chiefs-Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens-Houston Texans matchups, according to Nielsen on Thursday.,The early-afternoon matchup, f...