preview Page 142 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Pelicans, Jazz trending up despite occupying West's basement
The New Orleans Pelicans have the worst record in the NBA's Western Conference, but they're in the midst of their best stretch of the season.,They have won three of their last four games and five of the last eight as they prepare to host the Utah Jazz on Friday night. They can pass the second-to-las...

Bucks, Raptors clash following lopsided wins
Two teams coming in off big wins match up on Friday night as the Milwaukee Bucks welcome the visiting Toronto Raptors.,This is Game 3 of a four-game homestand for the Bucks. They took down the Orlando Magic 122-93 in dominating fashion Wednesday night. It was their fifth win in their last six games....

Nuggets, Heat await word on stars' status ahead of matchup
Denver Nuggets superstar center Nikola Jokic entered Thursday second in the NBA in assists (9.9 per game), third in scoring (30.6) and third in rebounds (13.2), but he may sit out Friday night's game at the Miami Heat.,Jokic, a three-time NBA MVP, missed Denver's 128-108 home loss to the Houston Roc...

Top defenses collide as Ohio State, Notre Dame battle for CFP title
ATLANTA -- It's nearly impossible to predict what will decide Monday night's College Football Playoff Championship between Notre Dame and Ohio State, but one individual matchup could carry plenty of weight.,That involves the No. 7 seed Fighting Irish (14-1) trying to shut down Ohio State star freshm...

Villanova out to regain form vs. Providence
Less than two weeks ago, Villanova defeated No. 9 UConn to improve to 8-1 in its last nine games. Everything was looking bright for the Wildcats.,However, the momentum has not carried over for Villanova, which is hoping to avoid a third straight loss Friday when it hosts Providence in Big East actio...

Struggling Bulls aim to 'take a stand' vs. Hornets
A five-game homestand that started with promise has sputtered for the Chicago Bulls.,Aiming to salvage Friday's finale against the Charlotte Hornets and snap a three-game losing streak, the Bulls will start by looking inward.,"It's right here to define the season. It's going to define the true chara...

Knicks C Karl-Anthony Towns' status in question vs. Timberwolves
Karl-Anthony Towns' first game in Minnesota as an opposing player reminded the Timberwolves how valuable he was during his nine seasons there.,On Friday night, the New York Knicks might join the Timberwolves in realizing just how tough it can be to win without the four-time All-Star.,New York hopes ...

Playing well of late, Sabres try to extend Penguins' skid
A post-Christmas rut has added to the overall frustration of the Pittsburgh Penguins.,However, they still find themselves in better shape than the Buffalo Sabres.,The Penguins begin a season-high seven-game road stretch looking to avoid a fourth straight defeat Friday night against the Eastern Confe...

Celtics hunting consistency as Magic search for 3-point touch
The Boston Celtics haven't looked like a contender for the NBA championship lately, and they'll try to regain their early-season form when they face the visiting Orlando Magic on Friday night.,Boston is coming off a 110-97 loss at Toronto on Wednesday, which dropped the Celtics' record to 7-7 in the...

Red Wings have more work to do against Panthers
The Detroit Red Wings have more work to do, and that labor must -- from their perspective -- begin on Thursday night when they visit the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in Sunrise, Fla.,Detroit, despite a recent hot streak, is still not in playoff position.,That stems from the Wings g...

Set to host Sharks, Zach Werenski, Blue Jackets on hot streak
The Columbus Blue Jackets will look to stretch their winning streak to six games when they play host to the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.,Zach Werenski scored twice as the Blue Jackets edged the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 in a shootout on Tuesday night to improve to 8-2-0 over their last 10 games....

Lightning could gather measure of revenge vs. Ducks on Thursday
The Tampa Bay Lightning return to Florida having received a little bit of everything on their three-game road trip, but now the attention turns to settling a score with a Western Conference club.,Coach Jon Cooper's team heads back out onto home ice Thursday night to cap the season series with the An...

Hot teams clash when Senators host Capitals
The Washington Capitals look to extend their point streak to nine games when they visit the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night.,Ottawa has a streak of its own, winning three games in a row after losing four straight.,Both teams were winners Tuesday night as the Capitals blanked the visiting Anaheim D...

Devils look to extend Maple Leafs’ three-game skid
The Toronto Maple Leafs aim to turn on the offense and end their three-game losing streak Thursday night against the visiting New Jersey Devils and former coach Sheldon Keefe.,It will be Keefe's first game back in Toronto since Craig Berube replaced him as coach after last season.,The Maple Leafs lo...

Coming off thrilling win, No. 22 Utah State heads to UNLV
No. 22 Utah State looks to continue its unbeaten start in Mountain West play on Wednesday when it travels to Las Vegas for a matchup against struggling UNLV.,Utah State (16-1, 6-0 MW) is coming off a thrilling win against Boise State on Saturday night, as Ian Martinez converted a go-ahead four-point...

Heat hope to continue winning ways against lagging Lakers
Following two postponements due to wildfires ravaging the area, the Los Angeles Lakers badly wilted in the final quarter of Monday's home loss to the San Antonio Spurs.,The Lakers will shoot to play a full 48 minutes on Wednesday when they battle the visiting Miami Heat.,San Antonio pummeled the Lak...

No. 17 Purdue, leaning on Braden Smith, visits Washington
Purdue star point guard Braden Smith might be the top passer in college basketball.,But sometimes he falls into periods where he is too unselfish.,No. 17 Purdue will be looking for all of Smith's talents to be on display when it battles Washington in Big Ten play on Wednesday night in Seattle.,The B...

Pitt brings 'urgency' into ACC clash with Florida State
Florida State and Pittsburgh will aim to halt their respective slides down the Atlantic Coast Conference standings when they square off on Wednesday night in Tallahassee, Fla.,The host Seminoles (11-5, 2-3) are coming off Saturday's 77-57 loss at Clemson and are seeking their first win in six tries ...

Skidding Virginia tries for some vengeance vs. SMU
Virginia will attempt to snap a three-game losing streak when it hosts Atlantic Coast Conference newcomer SMU on Wednesday night in Charlottesville, Va.,The Cavaliers (8-8, 1-4 ACC) are winless in the new year and coming off an ugly 0-2 West Coast trip with losses to the league's other new members, ...

Cincinnati, Colorado battle for first Big 12 victory
Either Cincinnati or Colorado will finally notch their first Big 12 win on Wednesday when the teams square off in Boulder, Colo., ,The Bearcats (10-5, 0-4) and Buffaloes (9-6, 0-4) remain the Big 12's only winless teams in conference play, and Cincinnati's swoon has cost it a spot in the AP Top 25.,...