preview Page 136 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Knicks kick off homestand against resurgent Kings
To begin a five-game homestand against the Western Conference, the New York Knicks will welcome the surging Sacramento Kings on Saturday night.,Winners in three of four games, New York looks to inch closer to the second-place Boston Celtics, who sit two games ahead of the Knicks in the Eastern Confe...

Hawks try to avoid two-game sweep to visiting Raptors
It hasn't exactly been "home sweet home" on the current homestand for the Atlanta Hawks, a trend they hope to reverse when they host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday for the latter game of their two-game series.,Atlanta has lost three in a row, including the first two of a three-game homestand, and i...

DePaul working against recent history in visit to Butler
It's been more than six years since DePaul won back-to-back Big East Conference road games. And even longer since winning a game at Butler.,The Blue Demons look to avoid a 10th overall defeat against the Bulldogs - and an 11th straight on the road -- on Saturday in Indianapolis.,DePaul (10-10, 1-8) ...

Goal-starved Senators host Atlantic Division-leading Leafs
The second leg of the Battle of Ontario will take place on Saturday when an Ottawa Senators team looking to get into playoff position hosts the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs.,Ottawa enters the game having lost two straight on the road, both by shutout. Getting blanked has been a more...

Flames believe they'll find path to playoffs, while Wild lost for answers
The Calgary Flames' short-term goal is to find a way to knock off the host Minnesota Wild on Saturday night in Saint Paul, Minn.,As for their long-term goal, the Flames' priority is squarely on making the postseason.,Calgary has a chance to boost its total when it faces off against a struggling Wild...

No. 4 Alabama guarding against defensive slips vs. LSU
Alabama is ranked No. 4 in the country and is in the thick of the race to win the ultra-competitive SEC.,Head coach Nate Oats understands that maintaining that lofty ranking -- and translating competing for the SEC title into competing for the national championship -- requires extremely high standar...

Skidding Colorado faces rising Arizona
Colorado will look to end its longest losing streak since the 2016-17 season and earn its first Big 12 victory when the Buffaloes play at former Pac-12 foe Arizona on Saturday in Tucson.,The Buffaloes (9-9 overall) have lost seven straight games, marking a 0-7 conference start in their first season ...

Blue Jackets, aiming for season-high home win streak, welcome Kings
As one of their stars nears his season debut, the Los Angeles Kings hope to improve their play on the road as another lengthy trip awaits.,The Kings begin a five-game road trip Saturday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, who aim for a season-high fifth consecutive home victory.,Since Nov. 27, ...

SMU looks to make headway in ACC vs. struggling NC State
SMU will aim to return to the win column on Saturday afternoon when it plays at struggling North Carolina State in Raleigh, N.C.,The Mustangs (14-5, 5-3 ACC) are tied for fifth place in their first season in the Atlantic Coast Conference but saw their three-game win streak snapped on Tuesday when th...

Jeff Skinner out for better showing when Oilers face Sabres
Bought out by the Buffalo Sabres in the offseason, forward Jeff Skinner jumped at the opportunity to join the Edmonton Oilers when the Stanley Cup finalists came calling. ,Seven months later, though, things haven't gone as hoped for Skinner, who will face his former teammates for the first time Satu...

Penguins, Kraken need to win now to contend for playoff berths
With the NHL trade deadline six weeks away, it would appear the Pittsburgh Penguins and Seattle Kraken are in a similar circumstance.,They can either get it going soon, or both could be sellers come March 7.,The Penguins, in the midst of a seven-game trip on which they're 2-2-0 thus far, play Saturd...

After road success, Creighton back home vs. Seton Hall
Creighton aims for a fifth straight win when it comes back to the comforts of home to play host to struggling Seton Hall on Saturday afternoon in Omaha, Neb.,The Bluejays (13-6, 6-2 Big East) are tied for third in the conference with No. 19 UConn and coming off a lopsided 73-49 road win over DePaul ...

Heat meet Nets, hope for positive end to 2-game trip without Butler
While the Brooklyn Nets are honoring Vince Carter with a jersey retirement ceremony, the Miami Heat are dealing with acrimony involving a player who helped them to two NBA Finals appearances and may be close to departing the team.,Carter's jersey will be retired at halftime, but before that occurs, ...

Feeling at home on road, young Pistons visit Magic
Life on the road clearly agrees with the Detroit Pistons, who are trending upward ahead of their matchup against the host Orlando Magic on Saturday.,Detroit won for the 12th time in its last 16 games on Wednesday, notching another road victory by beating the Atlanta Hawks 114-104. Cade Cunningham le...

No. 23 West Virginia hopes to mix up offensive effort vs. Kansas St.
No. 23 West Virginia will aim for a more diverse offensive attack against Kansas State in a Big 12 tilt on Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.,The Mountaineers (13-5, 4-3 Big 12) cracked the AP Top 25 for the second time this year and promptly dropped a 65-57 home game to Arizona State on Tuesday.,Meanwhile...

Inconsistent Celtics guarding against back-to-back L's, visit Mavs
The Boston Celtics will be trying to avoid losing back-to-back games for the second time this season when they visit the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday.,Boston dropped a 117-96 decision to the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday. It was Boston's fifth game in seven nights, and, in terms of the final margin...

Surging Canadiens prepared for Devils' best effort
The Montreal Canadiens are aware that they no longer can sneak up on their opponents.,Earning 13 wins in a 17-game stretch has a tendency to sound the alarm to your potential foes.,The Canadiens will look to answer the bell after a recent setback when they host the New Jersey Devils on Saturday nigh...

No. 14 Mississippi State seeks faster start vs. struggling South Carolina
Mississippi State couldn't overcome a poor start in its most recent game., ,South Carolina couldn't get the final stop it needed in its most recent game., ,The No. 14 Bulldogs (15-4, 3-3 Southeastern Conference) and the Gamecocks (10-9, 0-6) each will aim to bounce back following a loss when they me...

Washington trying to keep spirits up ahead of rematch with UCLA
First-year Washington coach Danny Sprinkle has called his team's January schedule "a month from hell.",It's hard to argue, with the Huskies having suffered five consecutive defeats -- all to ranked teams.,It won't get much easier Friday night when the Huskies (10-9, 1-7 Big Ten) play host to UCLA in...

Slumping Iowa searching for answers vs. Penn State
After experiencing some significant issues on defense, Iowa is now seeking to fix its struggling offense Friday when Penn State visits Iowa City.,The Hawkeyes (12-7, 3-5 Big Ten) had won five of their last six games before enduring a three-game losing streak over the last 10 days. First, they surren...