preview Page 179 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Wake Forest, UNC enter ACC matchup clinging to NCAA bubble
CHARLOTTE -- North Carolina and Wake Forest meet in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals with similar mindsets in terms of their overall postseason outlook.,Many projections suggest both teams need a victory Thursday afternoon to keep alive their NCAA Tournament hopes.,"Our eyes an...

Past two No. 1 picks face off as Blackhawks battle Sharks
The first overall picks of the past two NHL drafts will finally oppose each other when Connor Bedard's Chicago Blackhawks visit Macklin Celebrini's San Jose Sharks on Thursday.,The teams split their first two meetings in October, but Celebrini didn't play in either matchup due to a lower-body injury...

No. 18 Wisconsin attempts to regroup against Northwestern
Wisconsin looks to bounce back from its disappointing end to the regular season when the 18th-ranked Badgers face Northwestern Thursday afternoon in the second round of the Big Ten tournament in Indianapolis.,The 13th-seeded Wildcats (17-15) advanced with a 72-64 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday ...

No. 6 St. John's stirs 1980s memories prepping for Butler
NEW YORK -- For the first time in nearly 40 years, St. John's enters the Big East tournament as the top seed.,After winning their first outright regular-season title since the 1984-85 season, the No. 6 Red Storm (27-4) open their quest to win their first conference tournament since 2000 when they fa...

Top-ranked Duke prepared for test from Georgia Tech
CHARLOTTE -- Duke will play with the No. 1 national ranking next to its name for the first time this season when it takes the court in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament quarterfinals Thursday afternoon.,The Blue Devils face Georgia Tech with hopes of solidifying an NCAA Tournament No. 1 seed....

Caps' Pierre-Luc Dubois faces former team in visit to L.A.
Pierre-Luc Dubois didn't last long with the Los Angeles Kings. Just one season into his eight-year contract, he was traded to the Washington Capitals last June for goalie Darcy Kuemper.,Dubois will make his first return to Los Angeles when the Eastern Conference-leading Capitals, who have won five i...

Warriors aim to stay hot, dent Kings' playoff hopes
Two teams battling for playoff position in the Western Conference meet when the Golden State Warriors host the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.,The Warriors entered Wednesday holding the sixth seed after winning 12 of their last 14 games, while Sacramento's hopes of a top-six finish are fading fast. Th...

Josh Giddey unavailable for streaking Bulls vs. woeful Nets
Just as the Chicago Bulls got Nikola Vucevic and Patrick Williams back from injury to aid the frontcourt and contribute to their third straight win, they lost Josh Giddey to an ankle injury.,The Bulls' bid for their first four-game winning streak in more than 15 months will have to happen without Gi...

Cal's Andrej Stojakovic goes wild, but Stanford closes strong in ACC tourney
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Maxime Raynaud's 23 points and Jaylen Blakes' 21 points combined with clutch baskets from backups Benny Gealer and Chisom Okpara enabled Stanford to survive its first Atlantic Coast Conference tournament game with a 78-73 second-round win over California Wednesday night.,Stanford'...

Bucks look to snap skid vs. shorthanded Lakers
Two contending teams dwelling on brief losing streaks look to get back on track Thursday night when the Milwaukee Bucks host the Los Angeles Lakers.,Los Angeles was one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning eight in a row, before losing back-to-back games in Boston and Brooklyn. They fell to the ...

In pursuit of a wild-card spot, streaking Blues meet Penguins
The St. Louis Blues continue to display a spirited attitude in their quest to make the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. ,Meanwhile, another dim postseason outlook hasn't stopped the Pittsburgh Penguins from trying to finish strong. ,With points in 11 of their last 13 games, the visiting...

New-look Bruins look to stay hot vs. streaking Senators
The Boston Bruins look to continue their momentum as they prepare for another Atlantic Division matchup, this time against the host Ottawa Senators on Thursday night. ,Points are at a premium as the regular season winds down, and Boston is making an unexpected charge after selling important assets a...

Leads could prove slippery when Panthers visit Maple Leafs
Based on their most recent games, no lead should be safe when the Florida Panthers visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night.,Adding to the drama, the teams are vying for first place in the Atlantic Division. Florida leads with 83 points through 65 games and Toronto ranks second with 81 points...

Ole Miss running nose-first into 2nd-round showdown vs. Arkansas
Ole Miss coach Chris Beard has a simple, two-part message for his team entering the SEC tournament: "Be us, and smell the roses.",Beard wants the No. 8 seed Rebels (21-10) to be "the best version of Ole Miss" when they play their tournament opener in the second round Thursday in Nashville, Tenn. Ole...

Timberwolves look to stay hot as they visit Nuggets
The Minnesota Timberwolves reached the Western Conference finals a year ago, but this season, they are fighting just to get into the playoffs.,Minnesota has helped its cause with five straight wins and will look to make it six when it visits the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.,The Timberwolves wo...

Georgia looks to improve NCAA tourney seeding vs. Oklahoma
There is plenty on the line for both Georgia and Oklahoma when the pair square off in the first round of the SEC tournament on Wednesday in Nashville, Tenn.,For the Bulldogs (20-11), the No. 11 seed in the tournament going against the No. 14 Sooners (19-12), an NCAA Tournament berth appears secure.,...

Jalen Green assists short-handed Rockets as they prepare for Suns
With both second-year wing Amen Thompson and veteran point guard Fred VanVleet sidelined by ankle injuries, the Houston Rockets were pressed into unusual rotations against the Orlando Magic on Monday and desperate to uncover primary ball-handling options.,Guard Jalen Green helped fill that void in a...

After thrilling finish, Notre Dame faces motivated UNC in ACC 2nd round
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Getting to the second round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament was an adventure for Notre Dame.,Now the Irish have a chance to take on North Carolina on Wednesday afternoon.,No. 12 seed Notre Dame (15-17) advanced on Tae Davis' last-second free throw to defeat Pitt 55-54 ...

Southern California aims to contain Rutgers' Dylan Harper
Cross-continent conference foes meet on Wednesday in Indianapolis, where No. 11 seed Rutgers takes on 14th-seeded Southern California in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.,After having never previously played in their history, the Scarlet Knights (15-16) and Trojans (15-16) square off for th...

Grizzlies grinding despite injuries as lowly Jazz visit
A depleted Memphis Grizzlies team, beset with a late-season rash of injuries to key players, got an unlikely boost Monday and may need more of the same to finish strong.,The Grizzlies, who host the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, played without two starters -- All-Star forward Jaren Jackson Jr. and big man ...