preview Page 3 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Chasing No. 3 spot in West, Nuggets eye sweep of ailing Sixers
The Denver Nuggets stunned Philadelphia in their first meeting, and they go for the season sweep when they host the 76ers on Tuesday night.,Denver pulled out an overtime win at Philadelphia on Jan. 5 despite not having its starting five available. The Nuggets have everyone back -- minus reserve Peyt...

Wisconsin wary of high-scoring High Point in classic 5-12 matchup
Wisconsin and 12th-seeded High Point are capable of producing one of the highest-scoring games in the NCAA Tournament's opening round when the Badgers navigate the ever-risky 5-12 matchup in West Region action in Portland.,High Point (30-4), the Big South's regular-season and tournament champion, av...

Sabres' road success to be challenged by Golden Knights
Holding a four-point lead in the Atlantic Division with just 15 games remaining, the Buffalo Sabres are in good shape to snap a well-documented 14-year playoff drought.,But a challenging four-game Western trip that begins Tuesday against the Vegas Golden Knights has the potential to be a stumbling b...

Panthers, Canucks clash with both teams stuck in division cellar
A pair of last-place teams will try to find some positives when the Vancouver Canucks host the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night.,The Canucks haven't won two straight since a four-game winning streak from Dec.14-20 and sit last in the Pacific Division.,Florida, the two-time defending Stanley Cup cha...

Kraken test Lightning's perfect record in Seattle as wild-card race heats up
For the Seattle Kraken to be effective, they need to have four lines rolling.,They showed that again Sunday when their third and fourth lines did most of the damage in a 6-2 victory against Florida, the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.,The Kraken, who moved past San Jose into the second wil...

Contrasting styles on tap as Oklahoma State, Davidson open NIT
Oklahoma State will be in familiar territory as it tries to cap a solid campaign with an NIT run. The Cowboy open by hosting Davidson on Tuesday night in Stillwater, Okla.,The clash will be a battle of contrasts as the Cowboys (19-14) play at the nation's ninth-fastest pace, per KenPom.com, while th...

Sharks' late-game execution in spotlight vs. Oilers
San Jose has had no problem scoring goals and taking leads against Edmonton this season.,Holding on to those leads, however, has been another story.,The Sharks conclude a five-game road trip in Edmonton on Tuesday night.,San Jose sits one point out of the Western Conference's final wild-card spot af...

Bucks try to build off skid-snapping win against Cavaliers
A lost season for superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks continues Tuesday, when they host the stumbling Cleveland Cavaliers.,Antetokounmpo is a game-time decision for the Central Division matchup after injuring his left knee while landing on a spinning dunk in the third quarter of ...

Miami (Ohio)'s storybook season takes underdog angle against SMU
DAYTON, Ohio -- College basketball's biggest storybook tale this season seizes the national spotlight as Miami (Ohio) takes on SMU in a clash of No. 11 seeds in the final First Four game Wednesday night.,The RedHawks (31-1) will have a decided home-court advantage from the sellout crowd as they try ...

Jets aim to continue roll, finish season sweep of Predators
The Winnipeg Jets look to make it three wins in a row when they host the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night.,Tuesday's game is the third and final matchup between these Central Division rivals this season. Winnipeg won the first two meetings, 4-1 on Oct. 18 at home and 5-2 on Nov. 29 in Nashville....

Knicks endeavor to remain focused against NBA-worst Pacers
The New York Knicks know they shouldn't have any reason to lose focus Tuesday night.,But the last three games serve as a reminder that staying on task has been easier said than done for the Knicks, who aim to extend their winning streak to four games when they host the Indiana Pacers in the final ma...

Plagued by early deficits, Wild turn page to meet Blackhawks
A three-game winless streak has done little to compromise the Minnesota Wild's solid playoff positioning.,Still, the locker room knows better than to get complacent as the stretch run nears.,A visit Tuesday to the slumping Chicago Blackhawks offers a chance for Minnesota to snap the skid and move cl...

Red-hot teams clash when Hurricanes visit Blue Jackets
Andrei Svechnikov and Sebastian Aho look to continue their respective strong play on Tuesday as the Carolina Hurricanes visit the streaking Columbus Blue Jackets.,Svechnikov and Aho each collected a goal and an assist in Carolina's 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Svechnikov has...

Improved Hornets open long homestand vs. Heat
The revitalized Charlotte Hornets will work on better play at home when they face the Miami Heat on Tuesday to open a run of seven consecutive games in their own arena.,The Hornets are just 14-17 in home games this season, while going 20-17 on the road.,"We play a lot of really good competition and ...

Dejounte Murray boosting Pelicans, who face Mavericks on uptick
New Orleans Pelicans guard Dejounte Murray is making up for lost time.,After spending 13 months sidelined with a torn Achilles tendon, Murray has ramped up the pace in eight games since returning, a positive sign going into Monday's home contest against the Dallas Mavericks.,Murray's season-high mar...

Trail Blazers looking to limit turnovers vs. youthful Nets
On Sunday, the Portland Trail Blazers struggled to avoid turnovers and could not match the physicality of an Eastern Conference team in a playoff race.,The Trail Blazers hope to correct their issues Monday night when they visit the Brooklyn Nets, owners of the NBA's fourth-worst record.,Portland has...

Short-handed Warriors, proud of effort, take chances vs. Wizards
Riding the momentum of an impressive performance as an undermanned visitor in New York on Sunday, the Golden State Warriors hope the potential return of three key players will help them snap a five-game losing streak at the expense of the host Washington Wizards on Monday.,Getting contributions from...

Injured Clippers prepare to host Spurs machine
With four weeks remaining in the regular season, the San Antonio Spurs will be out to continue their methodical push up the Western Conference standings when they visit the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday in Inglewood, Calif.,Once six games behind the conference-leading Oklahoma City Thunder and in f...

Contending Wings eye turnaround at home vs. lowly Flames
The struggling Detroit Red Wings are hoping a return home and a visit by the floundering Calgary Flames on Monday will be just the tonic needed to turn their fortunes.,The Red Wings hold the Eastern Conference's second wild-card position, but after suffering a 3-2 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars o...

Bruins out to improve road effort, Devils aim to play spoiler
More consistent play on the road may be the key to the Boston Bruins' playoff push, which continues Monday against the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.,The Bruins lead the NHL with 51 home points, but their 29 road points (from a 12-14-5 away record) is near the bottom of the league. Ten of the Bru...