preview Page 178 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Rockets in search of stronger finishes with Mavs on horizon
The final minute of a physical and tense affair against the Miami Heat on Sunday devolved into something beyond basketball for the Houston Rockets, but that melee didn't mask their primary issues.,For the second time during a five-game homestand, the Rockets collapsed down the stretch offensively. H...

Knicks seeking ninth straight win, face struggling Jazz
Under stoic head coach Tom Thibodeau and similarly mannered de facto team captain Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks are never going to make bold declarations about their resolutions for 2025.,But the aggressive upgrading of the Knicks' roster and its performance throughout 2024 make it abundantly c...

Heat battling distractions ahead of game vs. lowly Pelicans
The Miami Heat expect to have All-Star Jimmy Butler back in the lineup when they host the woeful New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.,How long they will have him is uncertain.,Butler has missed the last five games while recovering from a flu-like illness. During that time it has been reported th...

Bulls try to carry momentum into new year, visit last-place Wizards
The Chicago Bulls are vying to open the new year with a third straight victory as they travel to D.C. for a showdown with the struggling Washington Wizards on Wednesday.,The Bulls are coming off a 115-108 overtime win over the Hornets in Charlotte on Monday. Coby White led the way with 23 points, 10...

Ravaged by injuries, Magic keep pushing on visit to Pistons
The Orlando Magic head into the new year waiting for their two best players to return. In the meantime, they'll try to hold onto their tenuous lead in the Southeast Division.,The Magic emerged from 2024 with 20 wins this season despite major oblique injuries to Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. They'...

North Carolina, Louisville seek quality win early in ACC slate
Neither Louisville nor visiting North Carolina will ring in 2025 as a ranked team, but that does not mean the Atlantic Coast Conference rivals will not have much at stake when they face off on Wednesday.,This will be one of the few chances either team has to post a notable win in conference play. Of...

Villanova, Butler look to bounce back in first game of 2025
The Christmas break has come and gone, and Villanova and Butler hope to right the ship on New Year's Day when they face off in a Big East Conference matchup Wednesday in Indianapolis.,Villanova (8-5, 1-1) comes in off an 86-79 conference loss at Creighton on Dec. 21, allowing the Bluejays to shoot 5...

Canucks try to flush tough loss, seek win against Flames
The Vancouver Canucks will try to move on from their most challenging loss of the season when they travel to Calgary to face the Pacific Division-rival Flames on Tuesday night.,Vancouver holds a one-point lead over fifth-place Calgary in the Pacific and the race for the final Western Conference wild...

Sharks seek to end 7-game losing streak vs. Flyers
The San Jose Sharks will hope to end their seven-game losing streak when they host the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday.,The matchup presents the bottom-feeding Sharks with one of their best opportunities to secure a win as it marks the third of a six-game homestand, with a trio of tough teams to foll...

Hurricanes intent on not changing their game, face Jackets
The Carolina Hurricanes are in search of back-to-back victories as they open a two-game road trip with a meeting with the host Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night.,Carolina split a home-and-home with the New Jersey Devils last week and has two wins over its past five games (2-3-0). The Hurricanes...

Devils head west to face Ducks, seek return to defensive dominance
The New Jersey Devils recently set an NHL record by allowing 20 shots or fewer in seven straight games. They went 5-1-1 in those games.,Over the weekend, the shot totals increased as the Devils split a two-game set with the Carolina Hurricanes.,The Devils enter their second Pacific swing of the seas...

Sabres finding ways to win, while Stars seek to repeat recent history
The Buffalo Sabres appear to be finding their way again.,They've won three in a row after going 0-10-3 over a 13-game slide, outscoring opponents 17-5 in the process, and will look to keep the momentum going when they close out 2024 with a visit to the Dallas Stars on Tuesday.,Their most recent triu...

Penguins energized by power play, Red Wings by new head coach
The best way to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins is to stay out of the penalty box. The Penguins' power play has churned out goals at a high rate in recent games.,They'll look to collect a road victory in Detroit on Tuesday during the Red Wings' annual New Year's Eve game.,Pittsburgh has notched six p...

Kevin Durant carrying Suns as Grizzlies pay a visit
Phoenix superstar Kevin Durant is calling for a "next-man-up" mentality as the short-handed Suns prepare to host the equally depleted Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night.,After a bright start to the season, Phoenix has lost five of its past six games, including Saturday's 109-105 defeat against the Gold...

Thunder put 11-game winning streak on line vs. Timberwolves
The Oklahoma City Thunder are one of the hottest teams in the NBA for plenty of reasons.,Two-time All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 32.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 2.4 steals and 1.5 blocks during the Thunder's 11-game winning streak.,Gilgeous-Alexander's performances, as good as...

No. 14 Ole Miss has something to prove in Gator Bowl vs. Duke
There's no shortage of motivation for No. 14 Ole Miss in the Gator Bowl.,The incentive for Duke might be a bit different, but the Blue Devils will be out to prove something as well Thursday night in Jacksonville, Fla.,Both teams hold 9-3 records but arrived at this point in different ways.,Ole Miss ...

No. 8 Marquette out to extend strong Big East start at Providence
No. 8 Marquette will strive to finish the calendar year with another Big East win when it visits Providence in a Tuesday matchup of two teams coming off extended holiday breaks.,The Golden Eagles (11-2, 2-0) have not started the conference season with three straight victories since 2012-13, but that...

No. 4 Duke streaks into ACC home opener vs. Virginia Tech
There's plenty of optimism around No. 4 Duke thanks to a six-game winning streak and the offensive improvement that came with it. The next stop is back home for Tuesday's Atlantic Coast Conference clash with Virginia Tech in Durham, N.C.,Duke (10-2, 2-0 ACC) will hold its conference home opener, whi...

Arizona State opens Big 12 era at BYU
Arizona State enters its Big 12 Conference debut with confidence when it visits BYU for a matchup of 9-2 teams on Tuesday in Provo, Utah.,The Sun Devils have won seven of their last eight games. Their only losses so far were to top-10 teams Gonzaga and Florida.,"I think we're excited," Arizona State...

No. 1 Tennessee returns from break to face Norfolk State
Top-ranked Tennessee will attempt to remain unbeaten as it closes out its nonconference schedule against Norfolk State on Tuesday in Knoxville, Tenn.,The Volunteers (12-0) are coming off back-to-back 80-point outings, beating Western Carolina 84-36 on Dec. 17 and Middle Tennessee 82-64 on Dec. 23. C...