preview Page 24 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Nuggets, Lakers clash amid tight Western playoff race
The crowded Western Conference seeding battle will get more clarity when the surging Los Angeles Lakers host the Denver Nuggets on Saturday night.,Entering Friday, five teams were within two games of third place, currently occupied by Los Angeles following a four-game winning streak. The Lakers can ...

Stars chase franchise history as they host reeling Red Wings
The Dallas Stars will be chasing a franchise record when they host the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday night.,The Stars stretched their point streak to 14 games (13-0-1) with a 7-2 home win over the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday night. That's one-game shy of the franchise record 15-game point streak whi...

Heat, Magic collide in battle of streaking teams
The Miami Heat have won seven straight games, their longest streak since November of 2023.,Miami, which will host the Orlando Magic on Saturday night, is winning with its depth. Three of the Heat's top-four scorers have been out lately -- Tyler Herro (quadriceps injury) has missed two straight games...

Flyers, Blue Jackets collide with wild-card race tightening
Amid some chaotic scheduling, the Philadelphia Flyers return home Saturday to host the Columbus Blue Jackets in a matchup of two teams looking to make a postseason push.,Philadelphia faced the Washington Capitals at home on Wednesday and won 4-1 before taking a late-night flight to Minnesota. The te...

Lightning try to take down Hurricanes in latest clash
Tampa Bay put it together in 60 minutes of winning hockey during its last outing, but the Lightning may have to be even better when the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes visit on Saturday night. ,The East's heavy hitters will meet for the final time this regular season after facing each...

Sharks, Canadiens battle to shore up postseason hopes
The San Jose Sharks aim to stay in the win column and strengthen their position in the Western Conference playoff race when they visit the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.,The Sharks moved into the West's second wild-card spot on Thursday with a 4-2 road win against the Boston Bruins, who had p...

Last-place Rangers finding form with Wild on horizon
The New York Rangers have the fewest points of any team in the NHL's Eastern Conference, but they are starting to play better.,New York has won three games in a row and four of its past five. The Rangers will try to keep their hot streak going when they face off against the Minnesota Wild on Saturda...

Columbus continues pursuit of 1st win vs. high-scoring Nashville
After scoring two goals in each of their first two matches but losing because of their inability to stop counterattacks, the Columbus Crew fixed that weakness last week but still couldn't get that elusive first win because their offense couldn't find the back of the net.,Columbus tries to marry stin...

Wizards playing better despite skid with contending Celtics up next
The Washington Wizards have had a hard time winning basketball games this season. Road victories have been especially rare, as all but five of the team's 16 wins have come at home., ,The Wizards can end two lengthy losing streaks when they visit the Boston Celtics on Saturday night. Washington enter...

Winless drivers look to change their luck in Las Vegas
The NASCAR Cup Series stays out West this weekend for Sunday's Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and if last year's spring race was an indication, perhaps a first-time winner is in order at the 1.5-mile desert track.,After Tyler Reddick swept the season's first three races, Ryan Blaney was a...

Blazers, trying to keep pace in playoff chase, go for sweep of Jazz
The Portland Trail Blazers are out to complete a four-game season sweep of the visiting Utah Jazz when the teams match up Friday night.,Portland averaged 136 points in the first three meetings, including a 20-point home victory on Jan. 5 and a 16-point road win on Feb. 12. The Trail Blazers also won...

Oklahoma in desperation mode for SEC tourney clash vs. Texas A&M
Oklahoma rolled past South Carolina in the first round of the SEC tournament on Wednesday in Nashville to set up a third season meeting with Texas A&M, a match that means much more to the Sooners than denying the Aggies a season three-peat.,Playing for their NCAA Tournament lives, the 11th-seeded So...

Darryn Peterson, Kansas gear up for sizzling TCU in Big 12 tourney
No. 14 Kansas is rested and ready to use this week's Big 12 tournament as a tune-up of sorts for the NCAA Tournament.,That won't be easy when the third-seeded Jayhawks face perhaps the hottest team in the conference, No. 6 seed TCU, in the nightcap of the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday in Kansas C...

Predators in hot playoff pursuit against hapless Canucks
The Nashville Predators will look to keep their playoff hopes alive when they visit the last-place Vancouver Canucks on Thursday.,The Predators gave their late-season playoff push a boost Tuesday night with a 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Seattle, which is just one point above them in the battle...

Contending Mammoth out to avoid sweep by Blackhawks
For the third time in less than two weeks, the Utah Mammoth will face the Blackhawks, with Chicago aiming to complete a four-game season sweep on Thursday in Salt Lake City.,While the Mammoth are in firm possession of a playoff spot and the Blackhawks are playing the final month with an eye toward n...

Lakers executing at both ends sans LeBron James; Bulls up next
On a charge up the Western Conference standings, the Los Angeles Lakers will be out to continue their momentum with a visit from the Chicago Bulls on Thursday.,The Lakers have won six of their past seven games and are unbeaten through three games of their current homestand after a 120-106 victory ov...

NHL-leading Avs aim to dent Kraken's wild-card aspirations
So, there is a way to defeat the Colorado Avalanche.,Make them play with just 10 forwards.,That's what happened to Colorado on Tuesday night against visiting Edmonton and the result was a 4-3 defeat that snapped the NHL-leading Avalanche's five-game winning streak.,The Avs will look to start a new r...

Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pursuing record vs. restored Celtics
Coming off one of the best games of his career, Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will try to make history when the Thunder host the Boston Celtics on Thursday in a matchup of two of the top teams in the NBA.,With 20 or more points, Gilgeous-Alexander would break Wilt Chamberlain's ...

Pacific-leading Ducks eager to extend Maple Leafs' losing streak
The Anaheim Ducks aim to open their four-game road trip with a second consecutive win Thursday night when they visit the floundering Toronto Maple Leafs.,The Ducks started their trip Tuesday night with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on the strength of three consecutive goals in a 1:44 span of ...

Homestanding Devils plan to extend Flames' misery
While the playoffs don't appear to be in the cards for the New Jersey Devils this season, at least they're playing well on their longest home stretch of the season.,Meanwhile, the road continues to be a problem for the lowly Calgary Flames.,Vying to bounce back after its four-game winning streak cam...