pr Page 216 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Hawks, Heat battle for play-in position in late-season matchup
A pair of likely Eastern Conference play-in teams will square off on Thursday, when the Miami Heat host the Atlanta Hawks.,The seventh-place Hawks (35-37) hold a four-game lead over the 10th-place Heat (31-41), while No. 8 Orlando sits a half-game behind Atlanta and No. 9 Chicago sits a game ahead o...
Cavs return home to face slumping Spurs
The Cleveland Cavaliers will look to move closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and contend for the best record in the NBA when they host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday in a late-season interconference game.,The Cavaliers (58-14) still have plenty for which to play. Clevela...
Paolo Banchero stepping up for Magic with Mavs next
Paolo Banchero looks to continue his scoring spree on Thursday when the Orlando Magic host the Dallas Mavericks in the opener of a three-game homestand.,Banchero scored 32 points to go along with seven rebounds and six assists in the Magic's 111-104 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday. The...
Penguins go for season sweep of improving Sabres
If the Pittsburgh Penguins hope to complete a season sweep of the Buffalo Sabres for the first time since 2017-18, they'll need to play much better than they did in the last game.,The Penguins are set to visit the Sabres on Thursday night in the finale of a three-game road trip.,Pittsburgh (29-33-11...
Sweet 16 Best Bets: Top Picks and Expert Predictions for March Madness
Expert Sweet 16 betting picks and predictions for March Madness, including top spreads, totals, and analysis for Thursday and Friday's games....
Dodgers ready to receive rings -- and to face Tigers' Tarik Skubal
On Major League Baseball's day of aces, two of the best will oppose each other Thursday in Los Angeles when the World Series champion Dodgers play host to the Detroit Tigers.,While it will be Opening Day for the Tigers, the Dodgers are beginning their domestic schedule after a pair of victories agai...
Spring training roundup: Cubs beat Braves on late HR in finale
Haydn McGeary blasted a two-run home run in the eighth inning to break a tie and send the host Chicago Cubs to a 4-2 win over the Atlanta Braves in their spring training finale in Mesa, Ariz.,Dansby Swanson went 2-for-2 with an RBI double and Carter Trice also had two hits for the Cubs. Trice hit an...
Luis Severino, Athletics open new eras at Mariners
With high-priced newcomer Luis Severino on the mound, the team formerly known as the Oakland Athletics opens its 2025 season Thursday night in Seattle.,The Athletics are preparing for a move to a new ballpark in Las Vegas and will spend the next few seasons playing in a Triple-A stadium in Sacrament...
Rays welcome Rockies for debut at George M. Steinbrenner Field
After having a five-season playoff streak end, then suffering through a hurricane that ravaged their domed stadium, the Tampa Bay Rays begin season No. 28 in new digs when they welcome the Colorado Rockies for Opening Day on Friday afternoon.,Manager Kevin Cash will not man the first-base dugout of ...
Celtics likely to face red-hot Suns without Jayson Tatum
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum is doubtful to play Wednesday night due to an ankle injury when Boston visits the Phoenix Suns.,The fact Tatum wasn't declared out -- leaving open the possibility he could play -- suggests the six-time All-Star dodged a serious injury.,Tatum sprained his left ankle durin...
Padres' Michael King, Braves' Chris Sale make for magnificent Opening Day matchup
At this time last year, the San Diego Padres were hoping Michael King would become a solid starting pitcher.,Now?,King is their Opening Day starter, receiving the opportunity for the first time as the Padres welcome the Atlanta Braves for Thursday's opener.,"Very proud and happy for the opportunity,...
Flailing Bruins try to play with more 'calm' vs. Ducks
The Anaheim Ducks host the Boston Bruins in a Wednesday night cross-conference matchup of two teams looking to keep their ultra-slim playoff hopes alive with three weeks remaining in the regular season.,Boston has lost six straight games (0-5-1), including the first three of a five-game road trip af...
Other Oilers stepping up in stars' absence as Dallas visits
The Edmonton Oilers won their first-ever game without both halves of their dynamic duo since Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl became NHL teammates in the 2015-16 season.,But that was against the Seattle Kraken, a non-playoff club. Now, the quest for the Oilers is to find the win column when the Sta...
Nuggets, Bucks resisting urge to put wins over health
With only a few weeks left in the regular season, playoff-bound teams have to decide whether to prioritize wins or health.,The Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets both have chosen health over potential playoff seeding as they prepare for their matchup Wednesday night in Colorado.,The Bucks (40-31) ar...
Nets, Raptors playing the (NBA draft) odds
The Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors are separated by two games in the NBA's second-most important standings -- the race for the best lottery odds that lead to drafting Duke star Cooper Flagg.,While their players are trying to prove themselves in the NBA, both teams' management might prefer to incr...
Lakers look to halt woes in matchup with soaring Pacers
The visiting Los Angeles Lakers will look to rely on their superstars to pull them out of a slump on Wednesday, when they face the surging Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis.,Los Angeles (43-28) has dropped three in a row and seven of 10 entering play, as it desperately tries to hold on to a top-four se...
Guardians, Royals look to continue momentum in AL Central clash
The Cleveland Guardians and Kansas City Royals emerged as surprise playoff teams last season.,Now comes the challenging part: Meeting heightened expectations.,The Guardians and Royals will each look to begin marching back to the playoffs Thursday afternoon, when Cleveland visits Kansas City in an Op...
After rough homestand, Devils aim for more consistency at Chicago
The New Jersey Devils have occupied third place in the Metropolitan Division for more than two months and hold a seven-point edge on the New York Islanders and New York Rangers with 10 games remaining.,While that may seem like plum playoff positioning entering Wednesday's visit to the slumping Chica...
Islanders, Canucks eye playoffs in battle of ninth-place teams
The state of their rosters and the arc of their seasons do not suggest the New York Islanders and Vancouver Canucks should still be in the postseason race less than a month before the Stanley Cup playoffs begins.,But the Islanders and Canucks will both attempt to continue their unlikely playoff push...
Wizards, 76ers continue to wrap up lost seasons
Something has to give Wednesday when the Washington Wizards visit the Philadelphia 76ers with each team looking to snap a five-game losing streak.,Washington (15-56) owns the worst record in the NBA, although the Wizards were likely anticipating a season full of growing pains for their young, inexpe...