k Page 54 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Rockets-Lakers series 'much deeper' than LeBron James-Kevin Durant tilt
A pair of NBA legends will square off once more when the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets face off in a first-round series starting Saturday in Los Angeles.,Kevin Durant led the Rockets to the No. 5 seed in his first season with the team, while LeBron James has helped guide the Lakers to the N...

Illinois G Andrej Stojakovic announces return for 2026-27 season
Illinois standout guard Andrej Stojakovic said Friday he is returning to the Fighting Illini for the 2026-27 season.,Stojakovic posted the news on his Instagram account, asking, "Did I make you nervous?" In an attached video, he lowers a newspaper then lowers his sunglasses and says, "I'm back.",His...

Matt Fitzpatrick catches break en route to 63, takes RBC Heritage lead
Matt Fitzpatrick of England shot a spotless, 8-under 63 to vault into the lead halfway through the RBC Heritage on Friday in Hilton Head Island, S.C.,Fitzpatrick climbed to 14-under 128 at Harbour Town Golf Links, while Norway's Viktor Hovland came close to tying him at the end of the day but settle...

Cubs crack double digits again; Mets tumble to 9th straight loss
Moises Ballesteros hit a three-run homer to cap a four-run first inning for the host Chicago Cubs, who continued surging Friday afternoon with a 12-4 win over the free-falling New York Mets.,The Cubs have scored at least 10 runs in each of their last three games, all victories -- the longest streak ...

Falcons trade DT Ruke Orhorhoro to Jaguars for DT Maason Smith
The Atlanta Falcons acquired Maason Smith from the Jacksonville Jaguars in exchange for Ruke Orhorhoro on Friday in a trade involving defensive tackles that were selected in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft.,Orhorhoro, 24, recorded 25 tackles and 3.5 sacks in 17 games (eight starts) last seaso...

Yankees RHP Gerrit Cole (elbow) set to begin rehab assignment
The New York Yankees sent Gerrit Cole on a minor league rehab assignment Friday as the right-hander closes in on his first major league appearance since Game 5 of the 2024 World Series.,Cole, 35, underwent Tommy John surgery in March of 2025 after experiencing elbow discomfort early in spring traini...

FIFA president defends World Cup prices in 'very special' U.S. market
FIFA president Gianni Infantino defended high ticket prices for this year's World Cup in North America by saying on Friday that the event, which captivates the globe, is the organization's only source of income every four years.,Speaking at Semafor's annual world economy summit in New York, Infantin...

Report: Retirement an option on table for Lakers' LeBron James
LeBron James will lead the Lakers into the first-round of the NBA playoffs against the favored Houston Rockets in Los Angeles in what could be the final series of his storied 23-year career.,Unless it isn't.,The Athletic reported Friday that James, 41, is considering retiring from the league he ente...

Montreal opens new chapter against visiting Red Bulls
CF Montreal will be under new leadership against the visiting New York Red Bulls on Saturday afternoon.,Montreal (1-6-0, 3 points) parted ways with head coach Marco Donadel after dropping its home opener 2-1 to the Philadelphia Union last weekend. After just over a year in charge, Donadel boasted th...

Stars D Nils Lundkvist signs 2-year, $3.5M extension
Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist signed a two-year, $3.5 million contract extension, the team announced Friday.,The deal runs through 2027-28 and adds to a big week for the 25-year-old Swede, who announced the birth of his first child -- a son -- on Tuesday and whose team opens the playoffs on...

Carlos Alcaraz, Novak Djokovic withdraw from Madrid Open
World No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz and No. 4 Novak Djokovic both withdrew Friday from next week's Madrid Open because of injuries.,Alcaraz is dealing with a right wrist injury that forced the 22-year-old Spaniard to pull out of the Barcelona Open on Wednesday before his second-round match.,Djokovic is bothe...

Canucks dismiss GM Patrik Allvin after last-place finish
The Vancouver Canucks fired general manager Patrik Allvin on Friday after the club's last-place finish in the Western Conference.,Allvin was hired on Jan. 26, 2022. Since then, the Canucks have one playoff appearance. They won the Pacific Division in the 2023-24 season (50-23-9, 109 points) but lost...
Three College Football Teams Poised for Breakout Seasons in 2026
A look at three college football teams poised for major turnarounds in 2026, including Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, and Florida....
NBA Play-In Picks: Best Player Props for Hornets vs Magic, Warriors vs Suns
Get the best NBA play-in betting picks, including player props for Stephen Curry, Devin Booker, and LaMelo Ball....
Friday April 17th Expert MLB Betting Picks, Predictions
Get today’s MLB picks, including Angels F5 and Giants vs Nationals over, with full pitching and betting analysis....

D-backs' Michael Soroka, riding hot streak, turns focus to Blue Jays
The Arizona Diamondbacks will return home as one of the hottest teams in baseball, set to open a three-game series with the Toronto Blue Jays on Friday night in Phoenix.,Since a 9-6 win over the Detroit Tigers on March 30, the Diamondbacks have won 11 times. Only the San Diego Padres (12) have won m...

Red-hot Padres strive to subdue Mike Trout, Angels
The San Diego Padres will take the majors' longest winning streak into Anaheim, Calif., on Friday night when they open a three-game series against hot-hitting Mike Trout, major league ERA leader Jose Soriano and the Los Angeles Angels. ,The Padres extended their winning streak to eight games with a ...

Kyle Tucker, Dodgers take aim at Rockes in opener of 4-game set
The Los Angeles Dodgers have started strong in defense of their second straight World Series championship.,They will look to continue that success when they open a four-game series against the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in Denver.,Los Angeles will send Tyler Glasnow (1-0, 4.00 ERA) to the moun...

Yankees pitchers need to keep ball in yard vs. Royals
The New York Yankees encountered warmer weather and trouble preventing pitches from leaving their home ballpark during their last series.,After allowing 13 homers in their previous four games, the Yankees hope to make better pitches Friday night when they host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of...

Yankees pitchers need to limit homers as Royals visit
The New York Yankees encountered warmer weather and trouble preventing pitches from leaving their home ballpark during their last series.,After allowing 13 homers in their previous four games, the Yankees hope to make better pitches Friday night when they host the Kansas City Royals in the opener of...