preview Page 4 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Charlotte FC in pursuit of 1st regulation playoff win vs. NYCFC
Charlotte FC will attempt to earn their first MLS Cup playoff win in regulation when they host a Round 1 series opener against New York City FC on Tuesday night.,Charlotte forced its previous opening-round series in 2024 to three games, but only by winning a penalty tiebreak after a 0-0 draw against...

No. 17 Illinois determined to debut 'Balkan Five' vs. Jackson State
The Associated Press Top 25 preseason poll says Illinois ranks No. 17 nationally. KenPom.com's algorithms declare the Illini are No. 6. BartTorvik.com say Brad Underwood's squad belongs at No. 8.,While it's clear Illinois sits among college basketball's best, it's unclear when the Illini will have a...

Nikola Jokic starring for Nuggets while Wolves are without Anthony Edwards
Nikola Jokic has posted triple-doubles in his first two games of the season.,Jokic will try to push his streak to three straight games when the Denver Nuggets tip off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night in Minneapolis.,Denver is coming off a 133-111 home win over the Phoenix Suns on S...

Austin Reaves red-hot for Lakers with Blazers up next
Austin Reaves is typically a complementary player for the Los Angeles Lakers, but he's fresh off one of the top performances in franchise history.,Reaves looks to follow-up an outing in which he nearly nailed a 50-point triple-double when the Lakers host the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.,R...

Nikola Jokic starring for Nuggets while Wolves could be without Anthony Edwards
Nikola Jokic has posted triple-doubles in his first two games of the season.,Jokic will try to push his streak to three straight games when the Denver Nuggets tip off against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night in Minneapolis.,Denver is coming off a 133-111 home win over the Phoenix Suns on S...

Thunder keep rolling, while Mavs coming off first win after slow start
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have done plenty to help the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 3-0 start to the season.,But with Jalen Williams still out following offseason wrist surgery, second-year reserve shooting guard Ajay Mitchell is having a big impact as well.,Mitchell and Oklahoma City ...

Victor Wembanyama on historic run as unbeaten Spurs host Raptors
Victor Wembanyama has answered every challenge posed to him on the court over San Antonio's first three games of the season. Now it will be his stamina and ability to produce on consecutive days that will be tested when the Spurs host the Toronto Raptors on Monday.,Both teams will be on back-to-back...

Celtics, Pelicans have first win at stake in matchup
The Boston Celtics and the New Orleans Pelicans are each off to slow starts.,One will get their first victory when they meet Monday night in New Orleans.,The Celtics have lost their first three games, including a 119-113 defeat at Detroit on Sunday. The Pelicans have lost their first two, including ...

Pistons to test their 'standard' against Cavaliers
Detroit's home game against Cleveland on Monday night will provide an early measuring stick for the Pistons.,The Pistons are striving to reach the level of the Cavaliers, who had the Eastern Conference's top record last season and reside in the same division, the Central.,For the first time in many ...

Penguins, minus Rickard Rakell, look to exploit Blues' defense
The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without one of their top goal scorers in Rickard Rakell when they try to return to the win column at home against the St. Louis Blues on Monday.,The Penguins will need to get used to playing without Rakell. The winger, who scored 35 goals last season to lead the team,...

Surprising Jazz eager to face defensively challenged Suns
After a tough last-second loss on Friday at Sacramento, the Utah Jazz return home to host the Phoenix Suns on Monday night in Salt Lake City.,The Jazz hope to pick up where they left off at home as they earned a 129-108 season-opening victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday.,Utah followed...

Max Scherzer eyes World Series history as Blue Jays, Dodgers clash in Game 3
LOS ANGELES -- After the long 32-year wait to return to Canada, the World Series shifts back to Los Angeles, where memories remain thick from its visit just one year ago.,All even at one game each, the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers will duel to get the upper hand in the best-of-seven mat...

Lakers to face Kings without LeBron James, Luka Doncic
Two teams that reversed fortunes with wins following opening-day losses go for their second straight victories when the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Sacramento Kings on Sunday night.,Playing for a second time without the injured LeBron James, the Lakers bounced back from a disappointing opening loss...

After snapping skid, Bruins out to build momentum vs. Senators
Two weeks of losing ways are over for the Boston Bruins.,After snapping a six-game skid, the Bruins look to stay on the right track when they travel to Ottawa to take on the Atlantic Division rival Senators for the first time this season.,"We still have work to do. Nothing will change (after a win)....

Star guards to clash again as Warriors, Grizzlies face off
Star point guards Ja Morant and Stephen Curry will continue a tightly contested rivalry when the Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors duel Monday night in San Francisco.,Both teams enter the game 2-1, having taken different paths to get there.,The Grizzlies won two of three on a season-openin...

Well-rounded Bulls leaning on each other as Hawks pay a visit
Pushing the ball and defending the length of the floor has been the mantra of Chicago Bulls coach Billy Donovan for some time.,It is a small sample size, but the newest edition of the Bulls has proven to be a quick study to the strategy. Chicago has produced a pair of season-opening victories and is...

Sixers to put strong start to test against shaky Magic
Two games into the season, the Philadelphia 76ers already have shown they can lean on multiple options to carry the team.,The Sixers aim to continue their unbeaten start to the season Monday when the Orlando Magic come to town.,Philadelphia nipped the Boston Celtics 117-116 in its season opener Wedn...

Lamar Jackson sidelined again as Ravens prep for red-hot Bears
It's a flip-flop scenario with the Chicago Bears possessing a four-game winning streak and the Baltimore Ravens mired in a four-game slide.,One of those teams will see the end of a streak when the upstart Bears visit the banged-up Ravens on Sunday afternoon.,Chicago (4-2) is looking for its first fi...

Whitecaps hoping team-record 60 points will translate in playoffs
The second-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps look to build on their best regular season in club history when they begin a Western Conference Round One playoff series against seventh-seeded FC Dallas on Sunday.,Vancouver earned a team-record 60 points in MLS while also winning the Canadian Championship and ...

New-look Washington opens season against road-warrior Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Arkansas-Pine Bluff will experience the first of 11 consecutive road games when it plays at Washington on Nov. 3 in the season opener for both teams.,The Huskies, in their second season under coach Danny Sprinkle, are also one of four Power 4 programs Pine Bluff will face in the 11-game stretch on t...