preview Page 54 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Panthers’ confidence teeters ahead of Blue Jackets game
It's unusual to hear that the two-time reigning Stanley Cup champion is lacking in belief.,But that's currently the situation for the Florida Panthers, who have lost four consecutive games and their last five at home.,The Panthers, who fell 2-1 in overtime to visiting Nashville on Thursday night, wi...

Nets seek better fourth quarter vs. last-place Pelicans
While a fourth-quarter collapse leading to a loss may improve draft lottery odds, it did not cure the immediate sting and disappointment Brooklyn Nets coach Jordi Fernandez and his players felt Thursday night.,Fernandez and the Nets hope to feel better about things Saturday when they host the NBA-wo...

Capitals menacing opponents ahead of Ducks matchup
The Anaheim Ducks will try to cool off Ryan Leonard and the visiting Washington Capitals when the teams meet Friday night.,Leonard, a 20-year-old rookie, had two goals and two assists in the surging Capitals' 7-1 win against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday. Washington, which is 3-0 on a four-game r...

Thunder put 13-game win streak on the line vs. Cooper Flagg's Mavericks
Cooper Flagg still has plenty of development to work through, but the Dallas Mavericks rookie has made significant strides recently, and it's paying off.,The Mavericks are on a three-game winning streak -- their first winning streak of the season -- heading into Friday's game at the Oklahoma City Th...

Fresh off 7-0 streak-buster, Mammoth take aim at sliding Canucks
The plucky Utah Mammoth, coming off their first win in five games, are hoping to show the host Vancouver Canucks what a four-game losing streak feels like on Friday night.,Utah snapped its own four-game skid with an overpowering 7-0 win over the Ducks in Anaheim on Wednesday. The Canucks have lost t...

Rockets' paint-first offense looks to keep rolling against Suns
The Rockets' rousing offensive start to the season relies on an unorthodox approach, at least in terms of the present-day NBA.,Houston dominated the Sacramento Kings 121-95 on Wednesday in the first of back-to-back home games, which also includes a visit from the Phoenix Suns on Friday.,Despite only...

TCU looks to build on tourney title, hosts battle-tested Notre Dame
TCU will look to its home court to help it build on impressive wins over two of college basketball's blue bloods when it hosts battle-tested Notre Dame on Friday in Fort Worth, Texas.,The Horned Frogs (5-2) head home after winning both games at the Rady Children's Invitational in San Diego on Nov. 2...

Zach Edey thriving, Grizzlies rising with woeful Clippers up next
The Memphis Grizzlies are benefitting from second-year big man Zach Edey's recent return from offseason ankle surgery, a return that has seen him play with a renewed confidence.,Edey is putting up numbers like he did at Purdue, where he twice earned National Player of the Year honors. And those cont...

Banged-up Bulls, run-prone Pacers each chase reset in Chicago
Losses are starting to snowball for the banged-up Chicago Bulls.,For the Indiana Pacers, opponents' big runs have been bothersome.,Reversing course and building momentum will be the aim for both sides during Friday's game in Chicago.,Indiana bemoaned the 22-3 run it yielded at the end of the first h...

Stars not slowed by injuries, while Sharks try to steady play
The Dallas Stars look to extend their points streak to nine games when they host the San Jose Sharks on Friday.,Dallas is 6-0-2 in its last eight games, with six of those contests coming on the road. The Stars return home after a two-game trip that consisted of a 3-2 overtime loss to the New York Ra...

Cincinnati, Xavier trumpet importance of crosstown rivalry
One of college basketball's most intense rivalries renews Friday night when Xavier hosts Cincinnati in the annual meeting known as the "Crosstown Shootout.",The two schools are meeting for the 93rd time. Cincinnati leads 52-40 but Xavier has won five of the last six, nine of the last 12 meetings and...

Nuggets take potent offense on the road vs. depleted Hawks
On the heels of Jamal Murray's offensive explosion, the visiting Denver Nuggets will look to extend their recent dominance over the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.,Denver, which has won eight of nine outings against Atlanta since March 2021, will play the second of a four-game road trip after Murray went f...

Sabres stare down road woes, try to beat Jets for 2nd time this week
The Buffalo Sabres will try to turn their road record around when they visit the Winnipeg Jets on Friday.,The Sabres arrive in Winnipeg after a 5-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday in the opener of their season-long six-game road trip that stretches over 12 days. After facing the Jets, t...

Golden Knights, Carter Hart head east to begin road trek at Devils
The Vegas Golden Knights kick off a five-game Eastern Conference road trip on Friday when they face the slumping New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.,The Golden Knights, who play seven of their next eight games away from home, have traditionally played well in the month of December, going 65-24-8 all-t...

Undefeated, top-10 bluebloods Duke (9-0), Michigan State (8-0) duel in East Lansing
Contrary to their usual form, neither coach doused the energy and expectations for Saturday's fight between college hoops heavyweights in a hype-worthy pairing of undefeated Duke and Michigan State in East Lansing.,Now that No. 4 Duke has been pushed to the end of a game, the Blue Devils might be in...

Jags turn up heat in South, lean into decade-long streak vs. Colts
First place in the AFC South is the imaginary trophy on the line Sunday when the Jacksonville Jaguars and Indianapolis Colts square off for one of their two meetings in the next 21 days. ,There is nothing invisible about the mounting pressure on Indianapolis (8-4) to regenerate positive momentum wit...

Bruised Blues, Bruins battle as Jim Montgomery returns to Boston
Just over one year has passed since Jim Montgomery was fired as the Boston Bruins' head coach and found a new start with the St. Louis Blues.,With the Blues' current form (9-11-7) looking similar to the up-and-down start (8-9-3) that ended his time with the Bruins last November, Montgomery's current...

Brisker pace could benefit both Hurricanes and Maple Leafs in matchup
The Carolina Hurricanes could benefit from a brisker pace after a bit of a slowdown.,The Toronto Maple Leafs have sped up as well, so this could make for a good matchup when the teams meet Thursday night at Raleigh, N.C.,The Maple Leafs have won two games in a row and three of their last four. They ...

Raptors eager to extend one streak, snap another with Lakers in town
The Toronto Raptors go for their ninth straight home victory Thursday night while also trying to snap their run of five consecutive losses to the Los Angeles Lakers.,The Raptors last defeated the Lakers when they earned a 126-113 home verdict on Dec. 7, 2022.,Toronto is on a five-game homestand that...

Red Wings open six-game excursion against Blue Jackets
The Detroit Red Wings are starting a lengthy road trip and coach Todd McLellan looks forward to the journey.,Detroit begins a six-game road swing on Thursday night in Ohio against the Columbus Blue Jackets.,The Red Wings snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday by holding off Boston, 5-4. Detroi...