playoffs Page 5 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Pacers put Tyrese Haliburton's dad in timeout for playoffs
John Haliburton agreed to stay home for the "foreseeable future" and will not attend games in the playoffs after the dad of Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton was involved in an on-court confrontation with Giannis Antetokounmpo.,ESPN reported the Pacers levied the decision and the elder Haliburton...

In control of series, Nuggets aim to bounce host Clippers
The Denver Nuggets were wobbling and in complete disarray after losing by 34 points in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Clippers.,Their plight has changed quickly with back-to-back victories, and now the Nuggets will try to close out the Western Conference series when they ...

Sens aim to add to Leafs' recent playoff woes, force Game 7
Technically speaking, it's the Ottawa Senators who remain on the brink of elimination when they host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday for Game 6 in their Eastern Conference first-round series. ,However, it's safe to say there's as much pressure on the Maple Leafs, who won the first three games in...

Oilers out to seal fourth consecutive elimination of Kings
The Edmonton Oilers have a golden chance to move to the next round of the Stanley Cup playoffs when they play host to the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.,The Oilers, having won three straight and leading the Western Conference first-round series 3-2, can dispatch the Kings in the opening round for a ...

Minus Aaron Ekblad, Panthers look to eliminate Lightning
In a pair of two- and five-minute spans, the Tampa Bay Lightning had their chances of advancing out of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Florida Panthers diminish greatly.,Down 3-1 to their in-state rivals in their best-of-seven series, the Lightning return home in a must-win s...

Reigning champion Panthers look to eliminate Lightning
In a pair of two- and five-minute spans, the Tampa Bay Lightning had their chances of advancing out of their Eastern Conference first-round series against the Florida Panthers diminish greatly.,Down 3-1 to their in-state rivals in their best-of-seven series, the Lightning return home in a must-win s...

Tom Wilson, Caps out to finish off Canadiens in Game 5
Washington Capitals rugged forward Tom Wilson has made his mark on the Eastern Conference first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens, and his head coach wouldn't have it any other way.,Wilson, superstar Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals will look to dispatch the upstart Montreal Canadiens and ad...

Jets F Gabriel Vilardi (upper body) back for Game 5
Coming off the best season of his career, Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (upper-body injury) will return from a month-long absence and play in Game 5 of the first round of the playoffs against the visiting St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.,Vilardi, 25, injured in a March 23 game against the Buffa...

Golden Knights seek upper hand vs. Wild after Game 4 OT win
Minnesota Wild coach John Hynes says it's "business as usual" for his team as it heads to Las Vegas for Game 5 of its first-round matchup with the Pacific Division champion Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday night.,The underdog Wild had a chance to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Wester...

Despite Oilers' rallies, Kings undeterred entering crucial Game 5
The Los Angeles Kings certainly are disappointed to be tied with the Edmonton Oilers as they prepare to host Game 5 of their Stanley Cup playoff series on Tuesday.,Having blown a 3-1 third-period lead en route to Sunday's 4-3 overtime loss that has the Western Conference first-round series tied with...

Without Damian Lillard, Bucks face elimination vs. Pacers
The Milwaukee Bucks are facing elimination and they have lost star guard Damian Lillard for an extended period due to a torn left Achilles tendon.,The Bucks will try to defy long odds on Tuesday night when they face the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference first-round series in Indiana...

Jimmy Butler returns as Warriors, Rockets gear up for Game 4
The Golden State Warriors survived one playoff game without Jimmy Butler. They will not be similarly short-handed for Game 4.,The Warriors will get their star forward back when they play host to the Houston Rockets at San Francisco, ESPN reported.,Butler, who had been listed as questionable, missed ...

Knicks aim to close out physical series vs. Pistons in Game 5
A week ago, the New York Knicks hit the road in the middle of their playoff series against the Detroit Pistons after Karl-Anthony Towns hardly touched the ball in the fourth quarter of a six-point loss in Game 2.,After two successful outings for Towns and more clutch performances from Jalen Brunson,...

Jimmy Butler questionable as Warriors, Rockets gear up for Game 4
The Golden State Warriors survived one playoff game without Jimmy Butler. They are hoping he's not a spectator again on Monday night.,Golden State will learn sometime before tipoff whether they will have their star forward in Game 4 when it hosts the Houston Rockets in Game 4 at San Francisco.,Butle...

Celtics prepared to put up fight vs. physical Magic in Game 4
The Orlando Magic can even their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series when they meet the visiting Boston Celtics in Game 4 on Sunday night.,After losing two games in Boston, seventh-seeded Orlando rebounded by earning a 95-93 home victory Friday. The second-seeded Celtics, who played withou...

Report: Early NHL playoff ratings plummet 27%
NHL playoff broadcasts in the United States were down in viewership through the first three days of the postseason, per a report from Front Office Sports published Wednesday.,Stanley Cup playoff games through Monday averaged 718,000 viewers, the outlet reported. That's a 27 percent drop from the pre...

Knicks need more than Jalen Brunson (i.e. KAT) to battle Pistons
The New York Knicks will need more offensive support for Jalen Brunson if they hope to regain home-court advantage when they visit the Detroit Pistons on Thursday for Game 3 in their Eastern Conference first-round series.,The Pistons evened the series in Monday's 100-94 Game 2 win by targeting Bruns...

Pacers prepare for Bucks’ response in Game 2
Moments after Indiana finished a dominant win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was already looking ahead.,The Pacers never trailed after taking the lead early in the first quarter, but Carlisle cautioned his team about beco...

Celtics erase small halftime deficit to trounce Magic in Game 1
Derrick White made seven 3-point attempts and scored a team-high 30 points Sunday to lead the Boston Celtics to a 103-86 victory over the visiting Orlando Magic in Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.,Jayson Tatum added 17 points and 14 rebounds for second-seeded Boston...

Golden Knights hope regular-season dominance carries over vs. Wild
Fifty serves as a symbolic number for the Vegas Golden Knights heading into Game 1 of their Western Conference first-round series Sunday night versus the visiting Minnesota Wild.,The Pacific Division champions (50-22-10, 110 points) hit the 50-win mark for the third time in the organization's eight-...