preview Page 176 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Can Magic stop Rockets' win streak like they did the Cavs'?
After posting its most impressive victory of the season, the Orlando Magic look to carry the momentum into Wednesday's matchup with the visiting Houston Rockets.,Orlando ended the Cleveland Cavaliers' franchise-record 16-game winning streak with a 108-103 road victory on Sunday. The loss was just th...

Pacers open home stretch with visit from Mavericks
The Indiana Pacers begin a pivotal five-game homestand on Wednesday when the slumping Dallas Mavericks come to Indianapolis. ,The Pacers (38-29) head into the closing 15-game stretch of the regular season vying for home-court advantage in an opening-round playoff series. ,Indiana is tied with the Mi...

Maple Leafs embrace tougher test vs. Avalanche
The Toronto Maple Leafs should get a better idea of how far they have rebounded from their recent slump when they host the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday night.,With captain Auston Matthews leading the way with two power-play goals and an assist, the Maple Leafs thumped the visiting Calgary Flames ...

Rick Pitino, St. John's zoom in on opener, 15 seed Omaha
St. John's is the sixth different program Rick Pitino has guided to an NCAA Tournament -- so the Basketball Hall of Famer knows better than to get caught looking ahead., ,"I'm just gonna focus on Omaha," Pitino said Sunday. "I've lost in the first round before, so I'm gonna just focus on that.", ,Wi...

No. 11 seed Drake done waiting, dialed in for Missouri
Missouri was thrilled to earn the West Region No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament and the trip to Wichita that came with it. Even if there's a 30-win conference champion waiting for the first-round matchup Thursday. ,"It gives our fans a drivable distance to support us as they supported us all season...

RHP Roki Sasaki to make Dodgers debut vs. Cubs
Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander Roki Sasaki follows in the footsteps of his Japanese countrymen on Wednesday when he makes his MLB debut against the Chicago Cubs in the Tokyo Series.,Shohei Ohtani collected two hits and two runs and Yoshinobu Yamamoto tossed five strong innings as the Dodgers raise...

Wichita St. looks to capitalize on surprise NIT bid against Oklahoma St.
Paul Mills was sure the season was over for his Wichita State team. After the Shockers lost in Friday's quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference tournament, players and coaches parted ways, with a handful leaving Wichita to start spring break.,On Sunday night, though, Mills' daughter was na...

Georgia Tech not looking back as it opens NIT vs. Jacksonville State
Following a strong finish to the season, Georgia Tech finds itself in the postseason for the first time in four years.,The Yellow Jackets earned a No. 4 seed in the National Invitation Tournament, where they'll begin with a matchup against Jacksonville State on Tuesday in Atlanta.,Georgia Tech (17-1...

Clippers face major test against Cavaliers
In need of victories and yearning to test just how good they have become in recent weeks, the Los Angeles Clippers will get a chance to accomplish both when they play host to the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.,The Clippers appear revived while winning six of their last seven games. That for...

Surging Blues aim to keep run going vs. Predators
The St. Louis Blues broke gravitational pull of .500 and climbed back into the Western Conference playoff chase with a 9-2-2 surge.,They got their offense into high gear while beating the Minnesota Wild 5-1 on the road Saturday and routing the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 at home Sunday. Jordan Kyrou had three...

Mikko Rantanen, Stars ready to move on to face Ducks
Now that the homecoming for Mikko Rantanen is over, the Dallas Stars can get back to focusing on playoff positioning.,The Stars are scheduled to host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday evening, two days after losing 4-3 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche.,It was Rantanen's first game back in Denver sin...

Celtics aim to complete season sweep of Nets
The Boston Celtics will look to continue their dominance over the visiting Brooklyn Nets when the teams meet Tuesday night.,Boston has won 13 of its last 14 games against Brooklyn, including a 115-113 victory at Brooklyn on Saturday. The Celtics are 3-0 against the Nets this season.,Kristaps Porzing...

Alex Ovechkin continues record climb as Capitals host Red Wings
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin enters Tuesday night's home game against the Detroit Red Wings eight goals short of becoming the most prolific scorer in NHL history.,Ovechkin has 887 career goals after a tally in Saturday's 5-1 road win over the San Jose Sharks. He is chasing Wayne Gretzky...

Penguins, Islanders still vying to keep postseason hopes alive
Impressive third periods by the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders on Saturday and Sunday ensured they'd each still remain on the fringes of the Eastern Conference wildcard race for at least another game.,On Tuesday night, the Penguins and Islanders will try to damage the other's long-shot h...

Senators, Canadiens have playoffs in sight ahead of latest tilt
It's been eight years since the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs in the same season. That could change in 2025.,Seeking a seventh consecutive victory, the surging Senators try to avoid a third loss in as many tries this season to the Canadiens, who eye a fifth straight home w...

Hawks try to shore up defense, finish season sweep of Hornets
The Atlanta Hawks took a big misstep during the weekend.,They'll try to avoid another detour against a similar type of opponent.,Atlanta visits the Charlotte Hornets, who have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, on Tuesday night.,The Hawks (32-36) are hanging around playoff contention...

Seasons for Rockets, 76ers heading in different directions
Looking to extend their season-best six-game winning streak, the surging Houston Rockets will look to take advantage of the undermanned visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.,Primed for a return to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2020, Houston (43-25) pulled even with the Denver Nuggets fo...

Midwest Region: Top seed Houston looks primed for Final Four run
The top-seeded Houston Cougars have been knocking on the door in recent seasons and now appear primed to make a championship run.,Houston has reached the Sweet 16 the past five times the NCAA Tournament has been played. That includes a Final Four appearance in 2021 and the Elite Eight in 2022.,Last ...

West Region: Intriguing coaching matchups loom in early rounds
When the NCAA Selection Committee members filled out the West Region bracket, they must have been looking ahead to potential coaching matchups in the second round.,How else to explain this:,Todd Golden, the coach of top-seeded Florida, has never won an NCAA Tournament game. If he gets the first one,...

South Region: Despite recent struggles, Auburn is No. 1 overall for a reason
The top overall seed, Auburn, lives here. Even though the Tigers wobbled a bit at the end of the regular season and Southeastern Conference tournament with three losses in four games, they still amassed a whopping 16 Quad 1 wins from a 28-5 worksheet.,They might have the nation's best player in John...