preview Page 14 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Nikola Jokic's return fortifies Nuggets going into game vs. Thunder
Things looked bleak for the Denver Nuggets when superstar center Nikola Jokic went down with a left knee injury on Dec. 29, but they went 10-6 without the three-time NBA Most Valuable Player.,The Nuggets have him back, and he'll be in the lineup for the second straight game when the Oklahoma City Th...
Iowa aims to take advantage of beaten-up Oregon
Iowa looks to run its winning streak to four games when the Hawkeyes open a two-game road trip in the Pacific Northwest against Oregon in Big Ten action on Sunday night in Eugene, Ore.,Iowa (15-5, 5-4 in Big Ten) is coming off a 73-72 win at home over USC in which Bennett Stirtz and Tavion Banks sco...
Knicks look to extend win streak, face surging Lakers
The New York Knicks created some consternation and angst about their contender status during a recent slump, while the Los Angeles Lakers picked up their performance of late without a key piece of the rotation.,The Knicks attempt to earn a season-high tying sixth straight win Sunday night when they ...
Soaring Suns collide with red-hot Clippers
The Phoenix Suns dominated both sides of the floor in recent back-to-back victories over Eastern Conference contenders Detroit and Cleveland.,The Suns will look to cap a strong stretch on Sunday when they host the Los Angeles Clippers to conclude a five-game homestand, their longest of the year.,Pho...
Wizards, Kings set to battle, coming off blowout losses
Washington coach Brian Keefe is in no doubt as to where the Wizards need to improve when they host the struggling Sacramento Kings on Sunday.,After winning the first two legs of a five-game homestand, Washington came back to earth with a thud on Friday, trounced 142-111 by the Los Angeles Lakers.,Th...
Lightning, Bruins to clash in the outdoor chill of Florida
The action should be hot on the ice between the rival Boston Bruins and Tampa Bay Lightning, and even Mother Nature will oblige to make Florida the frosty center of the hockey world on Sunday night.,Wintry conditions, with overnight temperatures in the low 30s, will be welcomed in the Sunshine State...
Pistons return home to face inexperienced Nets
The top team in the Eastern Conference gets, at least on paper, a breather on the scheduled Sunday. The Detroit Pistons return home from a West Coast trip to host the rookie-laden Brooklyn Nets.,The Pistons responded from an ugly loss to Phoenix on Thursday with a 131-124 victory over Golden State o...
Senators to get much-needed lift as Devils pay a visit
The Ottawa Senators will have Linus Ullmark back in net after a monthlong absence when they conclude a four-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.,The Senators have been without Ullmark since he went on leave Dec. 28, one day after a difficult road loss to the Toronto Maple ...
No. 9 Illinois visits No. 5 Nebraska for high-stakes rematch
When Nebraska visited Illinois on Dec. 13, Jamarques Lawrence swished a game-winning 3-pointer as time expired to give the Cornhuskers their most prestigious win of the season.,While the memory of that knockout punch still stings for No. 9 Illinois (18-3, 9-1 Big Ten) as it visits No. 5 Nebraska (20...
Patchwork Rockets must contend with Mavericks' Cooper Flagg
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg had already confirmed his extraordinary talent before he produced a historic performance on Thursday that lifted him even higher into the stratosphere.,With the Mavericks poised to honor one of their franchise legends, Flagg scored a team rookie record 49 points ...
Kraken trending in right direction before pivotal match with Golden Knights
Two teams headed in opposite directions heading toward the Olympic break face off Saturday night when the Vegas Golden Knights host the Seattle Kraken in Las Vegas.,The Golden Knights enter the contest tied for first place in the Pacific Division with the Edmonton Oilers but have lost three in a row...
USC puts height, rebounding up against smaller Rutgers
Southern California returns home to Los Angeles on Saturday for a Big Ten Conference tilt against a recently sputtering Rutgers squad.,The Trojans (15-6, 4-6 Big Ten) split a road series in a pair of nail-biters, beating Wisconsin 73-71 on Sunday before dropping a 73-72 decision on Wednesday at Iowa...
Bulls, Heat head to Florida to continue rare 3-game set
Facing off for part two of a rare three-game series, the Miami Heat will look to prolong the visiting Chicago Bulls' recent woes Saturday night.,The teams had their Jan. 8 game in Chicago postponed to Jan. 29 due to condensation on the court, leading to three games in four days between the two sides...
Syracuse or Notre Dame will end January by breaking out of slump
It's been more than two weeks since Syracuse won a game. Notre Dame hasn't fared much better.,The Orange look to avoid a fifth straight defeat when they host the Fighting Irish, who have one win this month, on Saturday night in ACC play.,After losing to Clemson in its ACC opener, Syracuse (12-9, 3-5...
Oklahoma State, Utah look inward for more respectable defense
Both Oklahoma State and Utah have had a full week to consider what they need to improve to save their seasons.,The answer, in both cases, ought to come down to defense.,The two most porous scoring defenses in the Big 12 Conference will try to plug their holes when the Cowboys visit the Utes on Satur...
Pacers aim for continued improvement vs. Hawks
The Indiana Pacers have won just 12 of their first 48 games, but every so often they offer glimpses of the team that reached the NBA finals last season.,The injury-plagued Pacers look to build on an encouraging victory when they face the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday in Indianapolis.,Indiana rallied for...
No. 2 UConn pursues 'nasty edge' as Creighton awaits
UConn is off to its best Big East start this century and will take aim at its 17th straight victory when it visits Creighton on Saturday night at Omaha, Neb.,The No. 2 Huskies (20-1, 10-0 Big East) started 11-0 in conference play during the 1998-99 season. The 16-game overall winning streak this sea...
Veteran goalie James Reimer to lead Senators vs. Devils
The Ottawa Senators were in dire straits when it came to their goaltending situation. Starter Linus Ullmark recently stepped away to deal with some mental issues, and young backup Leevi Merilainen wasn't ready to replace him.,Enter 16-year veteran James Reimer.,The 37-year-old former Toronto Maple L...
Islanders seek fourth straight win against visiting Predators
Under head coach Barry Trotz, the New York Islanders reached the NHL semifinals in 2020 and 2021 - the deepest playoff trips for the Islanders since their run of five straight trips to the Stanley Cup Final ended in 1984.,On Saturday night, Trotz, now the Nashville Predators' general manager, will g...
Florida State leans on defense vs. Stanford as 3-point woes linger
Luke Loucks' first season as Florida State head coach hasn't gone according to plan.,What was expected to be a high-powered, 3-point-focused offense instead ranks 17th out of 18 Atlantic Coast Conference teams in 3-point percentage (31.2%).,That has forced the Seminoles to adopt a new defensive iden...