preview Page 70 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Devils aim to raise level of play, starting with game vs. Penguins
The New Jersey Devils punched their ticket to the postseason on Wednesday, one day after their coach declared that his team was not ready to play in its most recent game.,The Devils (41-30-7, 89 points) look to atone for their lackluster performance when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday i...

Bears 2025 draft needs, picks, best fits and history
For the first time in three years, the Bears enter the draft somewhere other than the top. ,And somehow, starting over in Chicago has never been quite this exciting. ,Anticipation for a pairing of 2024 No. 1 pick Caleb Williams with new head coach Ben Johnson has the Bears expecting a jump out of th...

Pushing to improve play-in status, Bulls welcome Wizards
Making a late-season surge in pursuit of a playoff spot, the Chicago Bulls face the last-place Washington Wizards in their regular-season home finale on Friday.,Chicago (37-43) has won four of its last five, with a 7-3 mark over the last 10, following Wednesday's 119-111 victory over the Miami Heat....

Celtics set for final playoff prep with a pair vs. Hornets
A pair of teams with not much at stake will meet Friday when the Charlotte Hornets visit the Boston Celtics.,Boston (59-21) is locked in as the No. 2 seed for the Eastern Conference playoffs and rested its top six players throughout Wednesday's 96-76 loss at Orlando. A victory would have given the C...

Nationals on upswing ahead of visit to Marlins
On a run of four victories in five games, the Washington Nationals are set to visit the Miami Marlins on Friday night to start a weekend series.,Washington has won two straight series, taking two of three each from the Arizona Diamondbacks and the World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers.,It has be...

Yankees have cooled off while Giants are heating up
While the New York Yankees hit 22 homers on their first homestand, then experienced mixed results on their first road trip, the San Francisco Giants continued one of their better starts in recent seasons.,The Yankees attempt to produce more powerful swings Friday night when they host the San Francis...

Playoff positioning stakes remain sky-high as Grizzlies host Timberwolves
If the Memphis Grizzlies want to avoid falling into the NBA's postseason play-in tournament -- for those teams finishing seventh through 10th in the Western Conference -- the instructions are clear cut.,Close the season with three consecutive wins.,The Grizzlies (47-32) play visiting Minnesota (46-3...

Panthers hoping for better health, while Red Wings desperate for wins
With the playoffs on the horizon later this month, the Florida Panthers appear to finally be back on track.,Florida (45-29-4, 94 points) will host the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night in Sunrise.,The Panthers, who won their first Stanley Cup title last year, already have clinched a playoff berth ...

Stars look for redemption as well as gaining on Central leader Jets
Thursday night's game between the Dallas Stars and visiting Winnipeg Jets is about more than just first place in the Central Division.,The Stars are seeking redemption after a historic loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Dallas allowed three goals in the final minute, before losing 6-5 in over...

Surging, energized Bucks host floundering Pelicans
The Milwaukee Bucks are playing some of their basketball of the season as the start of the postseason looms.,The Bucks have won five games in a row as they host the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday night. It matches their longest win streak since a season-best seven-game streak from mid-November unt...

Jazz, Blazers search for positives as they wind down seasons
With only pride and draft lottery positioning on the line, the Utah Jazz will host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City.,Both teams come into the contest having already been eliminated from postseason play. The Jazz (16-63) were out of the running months ago, but the Blaze...

Wild's drive for playoffs continues against struggling Sharks
The Minnesota Wild are in position to seize a playoff berth in a competitive Western Conference.,They just have to avoid a meltdown in the final four games of the regular season.,"It's been a grind, but we're excited we're in the driver's seat, still," Wild forward Marcus Foligno said. "Our fate's i...

Stephen Curry, Warriors aim to rebound vs. fading Suns
Looking to hold their ground in the packed Western Conference standings, the Golden State Warriors travel to face the freefalling Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.,Golden State (46-32) enters the final week of the regular season in a four-way tie with the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memp...

Clippers roll into matchup with eliminated Spurs
One of the hottest teams in the NBA is starting to see significant results from its recent hard work as the Los Angeles Clippers take a full head of steam into a matchup against the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday in Inglewood, Calif.,The Clippers have gone 14-3 since March 5 and only recently have mov...

Golden Knights, Avs building momentum for postseason
The Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights will look to extend their win streak to three games when they visit the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night.,The Golden Knights (47-22-8, 102 points) entered Monday five points up on the Los Angeles Kings in the division and six points back of the Wi...

Rockies OF prospect Zac Veen may debut vs. Brewers
The Colorado Rockies debuted their top pitching prospect on Sunday, and now they are ready to introduce a top hitting prospect.,The Rockies brought up 23-year-old outfielder Zac Veen and are expected to play him on Tuesday to start a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers in Denver. Kyle Fr...

With an eye on West's top spot, Stars battle Canucks
The Dallas Stars likely can't afford any more setbacks if they're to remain in the hunt for the top spot in Western Conference.,Looking to avoid their first three-game losing streak of the season, the host Stars can get back on track Tuesday night by sweeping the season series from the struggling Va...

Can Lakers muffle Thunder for second time in three days?
The Los Angeles Lakers showed just how dangerous their Big Three can be in Sunday's road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team with the NBA's best record.,The Lakers (48-30) can reinforce that impression Tuesday when they run it back against the host Thunder.,"All three of those guys that we ...

Isles aim to boost playoff hopes vs. lowly Predators
After allowing Alexander Ovechkin's record 895th goal, the New York Islanders will continue their playoff chase when they visit the Nashville Predators on Tuesday.,The eyes of the sports world were on the Islanders' 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Sunday because Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky...

Bobby Portis returns from suspension as Bucks host Timberwolves
Bobby Portis returns just in time for the Milwaukee Bucks to gear up for a playoff run.,Portis is expected to take the court when the Bucks (44-34) host the Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32) on Tuesday night. It is the first game in which he's eligible to play since completing a 25-game suspension for ...