m Page 15 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Players Era hoops tournament expanding to 24 teams
The Players Era men's college basketball tournament is expanding to 24 teams this November in Las Vegas. ,An extended version of the event calls for splitting two separate bracket-play tournaments over the course of two weeks.,ESPN reached a multiyear deal to serve as the exclusive broadcast partner...
NBA Playoff Thursday Best Bets: Cavs vs. Pistons, Lakers vs. Thunder Game 2 Picks
Get the best NBA picks and betting predictions for Lakers vs Thunder and Cavaliers vs Pistons ahead of Thursday’s playoff action....
Pirates, buoyed by shutout win, pursue series victory over D-backs
The Pittsburgh Pirates will take aim at their fifth victory in six games when they face the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday afternoon in the finale of a three-game series at Phoenix.,The Pirates and Diamondbacks have split the first two games of the set. Arizona rolled to a 9-0 victory on Tuesday b...
Report: NCAA finalizing expansion to 76-team tournaments
The NCAA could formalize expansion of the men's and women's basketball tournaments to a 76-team format as soon as Thursday, ESPN reported on Wednesday night.,The tournament fields will expand from 68 teams beginning in 2027, with NCAA calls scheduled for Thursday as the final steps in the process, E...
Spurs blow past Timberwolves, even series in Game 2
Victor Wembanyama scored 19 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as the host San Antonio Spurs dominated the final three quarters on the way to a 133-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, leveling the teams' Western Conference semifinal series at one win apiece.,Second-seeded San Antoni...
Paul Skenes fires 8 strong innings as Pirates blank Diamondbacks
Paul Skenes allowed two hits over eight stellar innings and Brandon Lowe hit a towering homer to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 1-0 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday night in Phoenix.,Lowe's first-inning blast off Michael Soroka was all the offense Skenes (5-2) needed as he silenc...
CONCACAF Champions Cup: Toluca FC pull away from LAFC to reach final
A four-goal second half lifted Toluca FC past Los Angeles FC on Wednesday and into the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.,Toluca emerged with a 4-0 victory on Wednesday in Toluca de Lerdo, Mexico, giving the hosts a 5-2 aggregate win in the two-game, total-goal semifinal series.,The final will be an all-...
Daniel Altmaier delivers in the clutch in Rome
World No. 64 Daniel Altmaier outlasted first-round opponent Zhizhen Zhang in Rome at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia on Wednesday, setting up a second-round matchup with No. 3 Alexander Zverev.,The 27-year-old German rallied to win 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 against China's Zhang, who finished with more winn...
Pete Alonso helps power Orioles past Marlins
Pete Alonso hammered a three-run home run and Adley Rutschman smacked two run-scoring doubles as the Baltimore Orioles beat the host Miami Marlins 7-4 on Wednesday night.,It's the second victory in a row following a five-game skid for the Orioles, who will go for a series sweep on Thursday.,Orioles ...
Rory McIlroy in familiar -- and winning -- territory at Quail Hollow
Few places on earth must feel more comfortable to Rory McIlroy than Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C.,And with Scottie Scheffler taking the week off, the Northern Irishman is favored to win the Truist Championship for a record fifth time when the signature event field tees off Thursday.,"I really...
Graeme McDowell hopes LIV can move on from controversy
Now that the LIV Golf League will no longer be financed by the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia, Graeme McDowell told Sports Illustrated that he is hopeful the league can shed some controversy and serve as a "viable golfing product.",McDowell, 46, received death threats and other backlash when...
Will Lakers keep double-teaming Thunder's Shai-Gilgeous Alexander in Game 2?
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't put up his usual eye-popping numbers in Game 1 of the Oklahoma City Thunder's second-round series against the Los Angeles Lakers.,But heading into Thursday's Game 2 of the series in Oklahoma City, the NBA's reigning Most Valuable Player says he won't mind if the Lakers...
Alexandra Eala fights for victory during rain-soaked day in Rome
Alexandra Eala saved six of nine break points on Wednesday and rallied in the final set to register a 6-0, 3-6, 6-4 victory over Magdalena Frech of Poland to win an Internazionali BNL d'Italia first-round match on a soggy day in Rome.,After rolling through the opening set, the Philippines native enc...
Struggling Cavs might be without Sam Merrill (hamstring) for Game 2 vs. Pistons
The Cleveland Cavaliers may play Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Thursday night without one of their most important floor spacers.,Reserve guard Sam Merrill underwent an MRI exam on Wednesday after sustaining a left hamstring injury during Cleveland's 111-101 loss to the host Detroit ...
No close shaves for Cameron Young with Quail Hollow up next
Cameron Young might be the hottest golfer on the PGA Tour with two victories and two other top-five finishes in his past five events.,And the World No. 3 is not interested in changing much during a hot streak, including whether it's time to shave his beard.,"Yeah, I don't think it's coming off. I'm ...
Lakers G Luka Doncic frustrated and unsure of return
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic broke his silence Wednesday about the hamstring strain that has kept him sidelined since early April.,He told reporters at the team hotel in Oklahoma City he doesn't know when he can rejoin the Lakers, who lost 108-90 in Game 1 of the Western Conference semif...
Kentucky Derby winner Golden Tempo to skip Preakness
For the second consecutive year, the Kentucky Derby winner will not run in the Preakness Stakes, as Golden Tempo trainer Cherie DeVaux announced Wednesday the horse will skip the second leg of the Triple Crown and compete in the Belmont Stakes next month.,"Golden gave us the race of a lifetime in th...
Streaking Rays cap sweep of Blue Jays with a shutout
Shane McClanahan fired 5 2/3 scoreless innings and the Tampa Bay Rays earned their 10th straight home win by grounding the Toronto Blue Jays 3-0 on Wednesday afternoon in St. Petersburg, Fla.,McClanahan (4-2) allowed just two hits to stretch his scoreless streak to 16 2/3 innings over the past three...
Lexi Thompson's U.S. Women's Open streak in jeopardy
Lexi Thompson's streak of 19 consecutive U.S. Women's Open appearances is in jeopardy after she withdrew from a qualifier on Wednesday in Florida.,The streak started in 2007 when a 12-year-old Thompson set a then-record as the tournament's youngest qualifier.,Thompson, 31, stepped away from full-tim...
76ers C Joel Embiid (ankle, hip) out for Game 2 vs. Knicks
Philadelphia 76ers star center Joel Embiid has been ruled out of Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series against the host New York Knicks on Wednesday due to right ankle and hip injuries.,Per ESPN, Embiid did not participate in the team's shootaround on Wednesday morning after experiencing...