preview Page 15 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Now proving pesky for contenders, Jazz prepare to host Celtics
Utah is quickly becoming a problem NBA playoff contenders can't solve.,The Jazz notched two straight victories against some of the league's top teams heading into Tuesday night's game against the Boston Celtics in Salt Lake City. They earned wins over Detroit and San Antonio in back-to-back days ove...

Ailing 76ers, Grizzlies seek all-around efforts
Memphis Grizzlies coach Tuomas Iisalo has endured a first half of the season in which his team has battled injuries at every position, from star guard Ja Morant to second-year big man Zach Edey.,The Grizzlies have battled through the shortcomings to play close to .500 through 32 games. But minus Ede...

Cal has concerns to fix ahead of ACC opener vs. No. 16 Louisville
Cal is off to its best start in more than 65 years. However, coach Mark Madsen's team faces its biggest test of the season so far when No. 16 Louisville travels to Berkeley, Calif., for both schools' Atlantic Coast Conference opener on Tuesday.,Neither team has played in more than a week. The Golden...

Improving under new coach, Miami opens ACC slate vs. Pitt
Jai Lucas will have a second debut in his inaugural season as the Miami Hurricanes' head coach.,Nine weeks after guiding the Hurricanes in their season opener and the start of their nonconference schedule, Lucas will experience another first on Tuesday. Winners of six straight, the Hurricanes open A...

Marquette, moving on with Zaide Lowry, tangles with Seton Hall
After a long Christmas break -- and a roster shake-up -- Marquette hosts Seton Hall in a Big East Conference tilt Tuesday night in Milwaukee.,The Golden Eagles (5-8, 0-2 Big East) have lost four in a row and made news over the weekend with the announcement that guard Zaide Lowery was no longer on th...

Isles hope to brush off blown lead as Blackhawks sort through hard stretch
After surrendering three goals in the closing minutes to lose at Columbus on Sunday, the New York Islanders are eyeing a turnaround Tuesday as they visit the slumping Chicago Blackhawks to close a two-game road trip.,Bo Horvat, who had one of New York's goals, called the 4-2 defeat in Columbus "two ...

Devils honing in on offense ahead of trip to Toronto
The New Jersey Devils could find out if their scoring touch is returning Tuesday night when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.,The Devils took some encouragement from a 4-3 home overtime loss Saturday to the Washington Capitals. They had not scored more than two goals in their five previous games (...

Scottie Barnes has tough act to follow -- his own -- when Raptors host Magic
Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors will be riding a strong wave of momentum Monday night when they host the Orlando Magic.,Barnes opened Toronto's five-game homestand on Sunday with his seventh career triple-double in a 141-127 overtime victory over the Golden State Warriors.,With 23 points, a c...

Cam Thomas sparking Nets as they welcome turnover-prone Warriors
Cam Thomas returned from missing nearly two months with a hamstring injury and the Brooklyn Nets kept winning.,Coming off a successful return in a reserve role, Thomas hopes to help the Nets extend their winning streak to four games on Monday when they host the Golden State Warriors, who are at .500...

Blue Jackets heating up ahead of road game vs. Senators
The Columbus Blue Jackets visit the Ottawa Senators on Monday night fresh off a come-from-behind victory and the winners of two straight.,Trailing 2-1, the Blue Jackets rallied for three goals in the third period on Sunday for a 4-2 victory over the visiting New York Islanders.,"I love the way we pl...

Minnesota out to resume unselfish ways vs. Fairleigh Dickinson
Most of Minnesota's players spent at least part of their winter break distributing presents.,Now that the Golden Gophers are back on campus, coach Niko Medved wants to see those same players maintain the giving spirit by distributing the basketball. ,Minnesota (7-5) will look to get back into its go...

Surging Wild aim to stay hot, extend Knights' struggles
The Minnesota Wild make the second stop on a seven-game, 13-day road trip on Monday when they face the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights in Las Vegas., ,It will be Minnesota's first game back in Sin City since losing to the Golden Knights in six games in the first round of the Western Co...

Continuing road trip, Predators try to get settled at Mammoth
The Nashville Predators continue the longest road trip of their season with a visit to Salt Lake City on Monday to face the Utah Mammoth.,Monday's game is the third stop on the Predators' seven-game trip, which was interrupted by the NHL's Christmas break. Nashville returned to action in Saturday's ...

Oklahoma State battling complacency along with Bethune-Cookman
Oklahoma State coach Steve Lutz hopes his team has learned its lesson after almost blowing an 18-point, second-half lead to Cal State Fullerton last week.,The Cowboys (11-1) wrap up their nonconference schedule Monday when they host Bethune-Cookman (3-9) in Stillwater, Okla.,Oklahoma State built a c...

Skidding Bruins open Western Canada swing vs. surging Flames
The Boston Bruins make the first of three Western Canadian stops on their season-long, five-game road trip, visiting the Calgary Flames for a Monday night matchup of teams trending in opposite directions as they fight in crowded playoff races.,It will be the teams' first meeting of the season and th...

Oklahoma aims to keep protecting the ball vs. Mississippi Valley St.
Oklahoma's offense has scored plenty against almost every team it has faced.,But now, the Sooners will take on a team that's struggled to slow down most everybody it has played when they meet Mississippi Valley State on Monday in Norman, Okla.,Oklahoma comes in averaging 86.9 points per game and has...

Mississippi State tunes up for SEC season vs. Alabama State
Mississippi State could be sorting out its early-season problems at the right time when it hosts Alabama State on Monday in Starkville, Miss.,It's the final nonconference game for the Bulldogs (7-5), who begin an 18-game march through the Southeastern Conference in January. Their resolve to hang on ...

Jets welcome Oilers trying to halt 5-game skid
When the Edmonton Oilers visit the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night, both clubs will look to move on from disappointing results in their first games back from the holiday break.,In a rematch against their pre-Christmas opponent, the Oilers lost 3-2 to the host Flames on Saturday night, a game largely c...

Baylor set to debut James Nnaji vs. Arlington Baptist after NCAA grants eligibility
Baylor coach Scott Drew said it is "going to be a process" to add former NBA draft pick James Nnaji to the mix for the Bears.,That process starts Monday when the 7-foot center is eligible to play for the Bears (9-2) when they host Division II Arlington Baptist (2-8) in a nonconference game in Waco, ...

Hurricanes keep getting better, look to dispatch Rangers
The Carolina Hurricanes got well in a big way. Now it's a matter if they can build on that.,They'll have a chance to do so against the New York Rangers on Monday night in Raleigh, N.C.,The Hurricanes have an Eastern Conference-best 49 points after winning 5-2 on Saturday against the visiting Detroit...