k Page 45 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Rangers focused on developing younger players in game vs. Blackhawks
The New York Rangers and Chicago Blackhawks are using the final weeks of lost seasons to gauge some of their youth.,Plenty of youth will be on display Friday night when the Rangers host the Blackhawks. New York is eliminated from postseason contention, while Chicago isn't far removed from that fate....

Lakers return home from successful trip to face spiraling Nets
The Los Angeles Lakers received a welcome day off on Thursday following a six-game trip that saw the team solidify its third-place standing in the Western Conference.,Winners of 13 of their last 15 games, the Lakers will begin a three-game homestand with a matchup against the Brooklyn Nets on Friday...

Blazers intent on improving playoff position in matchup vs. reeling Mavericks
The Portland Trail Blazers already have clinched a postseason berth for the first time in five seasons, even if it's just a spot in the play-in tournament.,Interim coach Tiago Splitter and his team want much more than that, however.,After winning five of its last six games to get back to .500 for th...

Kings blank Canucks, trim wild-card deficit to 1 point
Eight players tallied at least one point for the Los Angeles Kings, who dominated the host Vancouver Canucks 4-0 on Thursday night.,Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist, Scott Laughton and Artemi Panarin both scored a goal and Mikey Anderson tallied two assists for the King...

Arizona's sizzling shooting overpowers Arkansas
SAN JOSE -- Brayden Burries scored 23 points and fellow freshman Koa Peat added 21 as top-seeded rolled to a 109-88 win over No. 4 Arkansas in the West Region semifinals on Thursday night.,The Wildcats (35-2) matched their school record for wins by shooting 63.8% from the field and advanced to their...

Ducks' Mikael Granlund nets hat trick in last second of OT vs. Flames
Mikael Granlund completed his hat trick with a last-second overtime winning goal and the visiting Anaheim Ducks strengthened their hold on top spot in the Pacific Division with a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames on Thursday.,John Carlson collected a pair of assists and Ville Husso made 23 saves f...

Dodgers open latest title defense with rout of D-backs
Andy Pages hit a three-run home run and right-hander Yoshinobu Yamamoto went six strong innings as the Los Angeles Dodgers followed consecutive World Series titles with an 8-2 victory over the visiting Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday., ,In the season opener for both teams, Will Smith hit a home run...

Blues sink Sharks in OT, move closer to West wild-card spot
Dylan Holloway buried the game-winning goal in the dying seconds of overtime as the St. Louis Blues outlasted the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on home ice on Thursday.,Holloway was the first man on a loose puck and with just four seconds remaining, he placed his backhand shot high over the shoulder of Alex N...

Flyers keep playoff hopes alive, thump Blackhawks
Christian Dvorak, Noah Cates and Alex Bump each registered a goal and an assist as the Philadelphia Flyers thumped the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 5-1 on Thursday evening.,Samuel Ersson made 25 saves for Philadelphia (35-24-12, 82 points), which has won six of its last eight games to make some late ...

Brandon Montour, Kraken earn key OT win vs. Lightning
Brandon Montour scored twice, including the winner at 2:47 of overtime, as the Seattle Kraken defeated the host Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on Thursday night.,Kaapo Kakko and Bobby McCann each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken, who snapped a four-game winless streak (0-3-1). ,Philipp Grubauer stop...

Iowa rallies past Nebraska, in first Elite Eight since '87
HOUSTON -- Bennett Stirtz scored a team-high 20 points, Tate Sage added 19 and ninth-seeded Iowa rallied from a first-half, double-digit deficit to defeat fourth-seeded Nebraska 77-71 on Thursday in the South Regional semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.,Stirtz provided the Hawkeyes (24-12) with their...

Canadiens stay hot with low-scoring defeat of Blue Jackets
Zachary Bolduc scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and assisted on Montreal's other goal in a 2-1 win for the Canadiens against the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.,Jayden Struble also scored for the Canadiens (40-21-10, 90 points), who have won three straight. Jakub Dobes ...

Hornets snap Knicks' win streak behind Kon Knueppel's big outing
Kon Knueppel had 26 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists on Thursday to help the Charlotte Hornets earn a 114-103 victory over the visiting New York Knicks.,LaMelo Ball added 22 points and Brandon Miller scored 21 for Charlotte (39-34), which won its fifth straight game. Coby White and Miles Bridge...

Panthers' Rasheed Walker says gun charge getting dismissed
New Carolina Panthers left tackle Rasheed Walker told reporters during his introductory press conference Thursday that a gun charge against him from early this year is being dismissed.,Walker, 26, was arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree criminal possession of a firearm by New York ...

Boston College hires UConn assistant Luke Murray as next head coach
Boston College turned to a proven title-winning assistant Thursday, hiring UConn's Luke Murray as its next men's basketball head coach and placing a key member of Dan Hurley's staff in charge of a rebuild in Chestnut Hill, Mass.,Murray, 40, has been with the Huskies since 2021 and is widely credited...

Rockets hope listless Grizzlies are cure for their recent skid
When the Houston Rockets visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday, it will be difficult to know which team feels worse.,The Grizzlies (24-48) have lost 12 of their last 13 and taken lopsided losses in back-to-back games.,The Rockets (43-29) have lost four of their past six, including a heart-wrenching ...

Thunder look to keep pace in race for No. 1 seed vs. Bulls
The Oklahoma City Thunder are in a tight battle for the No. 1 overall seed in the playoffs heading into Friday's matchup with the Chicago Bulls at home.,"It's very important and not just in the West, in the whole playoffs," Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We needed Game 7 at home against...

Thriving Jayson Tatum leads Celtics into battle vs. Hawks
Jayson Tatum will attempt to take another step forward in his return from surgery to repair a ruptured right Achilles tendon when the Boston Celtics try to cool off the visiting Atlanta Hawks on Friday night., ,Tatum turned in what was arguably his best performance of the season during Wednesday's 1...

Puka Nacua sued, accused of biting women, making antisemitic remark
Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is being sued for allegedly biting two women and making an antisemitic statement during a New Year's Eve gathering.,Plaintiff Madison Atiabi and her attorney allege that Nacua said "f-- all the Jews" during a dinner on Dec. 31 in Los Angeles. This made Atiab...

Jannik Sinner roars past Frances Tiafoe to reach Miami Open semis
Jannik Sinner inched closer to completing the "Sunshine Double" with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over 19th-seeded American Frances Tiafoe in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open Thursday in Miami Gardens, Fla.,The second-seeded Italian is two wins away from becoming the first player since Roger Feder...