preview Page 8 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

NC State, Florida State collide after season-best 3-point showings
Florida State was not given many gifts when it came to the start of its Atlantic Coast Conference schedule.,The Seminoles (7-8, 0-2 ACC) opened conference play with a pair of powerhouse programs in North Carolina and Duke, picked to finish third and first in the ACC, respectively.,After a week betwe...

TCU hopes to spoil No. 1 Arizona's unbeaten streak
No. 1 Arizona will look to continue its best start in more than a decade as it faces TCU on Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth, Texas.,The Wildcats (15-0, 2-0) are off to their best start since winning 21 games to open the 2013-14 season. Saturday marks the first trip to TCU for Arizona, which is in i...

With Connor Bedard back, Blackhawks bid to clip Capitals
The Chicago Blackhawks will see a familiar face return to the lineup on Friday when they host the Washington Capitals.,Star forward Connor Bedard has been cleared to return from a 12-game absence due to an upper-body injury.,"I feel good," Bedard said following the Blackhawks' morning skate. "Obviou...

Kevin Durant on cusp of milestone, but Rockets want win vs. Blazers
The first contest of the two-game set between the Houston Rockets and Portland Trail Blazers featured a wild ending.,Friday night's rematch will likely include a memorable milestone.,The host Trail Blazers will look to complete the sweep of the Rockets two nights after a tip-in by Houston's Tari Eas...

Warriors lean on veterans for visit from slumping Kings
The Golden State Warriors are looking for more big contributions from newcomers Al Horford and De'Anthony Melton when they continue their long homestand against the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.,Horford posted a season-high 10 rebounds, along with eight points, six assists, and two blocks. Melto...

Skid snapped, Knicks start West swing with surging Suns
After breaking a four-game losing streak that was "embraced" by coach Mike Brown, the New York Knicks open a four-game Western Conference trip at the Phoenix Suns on Friday.,The Knicks stopped their season-long skid with a 123-111 home victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday, when Jalen B...

Texans, Steelers prepare for 'old-school' brawl in AFC wild-card round
The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't won a playoff game in nearly nine years.,Now the NFL's best defense stands in the way and threatens to impose another unhappy ending.,Aaron Rodgers will be asked to solve the defensive unit of the Texans when Pittsburgh hosts Houston on Monday night during the AFC wil...

Mammoth, knocking on door of playoff picture, face Blues next
The Utah Mammoth will endeavor to climb back into a playoff spot when they host the St. Louis Blues on Friday in Salt Lake City.,Utah, which will play the second game of a season-high seven-game homestand, began Thursday one point behind the Los Angeles Kings, who also play Friday, for the second an...

Blackhawks eye 5th straight win vs. Caps with Bedard nearly back
As various Chicago Blackhawks youngsters rave about the locker-room vibe -- "I would be lying if I said it's not a ton of fun in here," Oliver Moore said -- the club's veterans take it one step further.,They find enjoyment is spurring success.,"I think we're seeing great development from the group a...

Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander brings consistency to matchup with Grizzlies
Some streaks appear, at first glance, like a typographical error.,The Oklahoma City Thunder have won 15 straight against the Grizzlies. The visiting Thunder will attempt to extend the streak Friday on the road against a Memphis team that has been plagued by an unending wave of injuries since the sea...

Nets, Egor Demin take aim at defense-challenged Clippers
Egor Demin started slowly, but like the rest of the Brooklyn Nets, the rookie is making strides and nearly willed them to victory Wednesday night.,Demin and the Nets attempt to shake off a buzzer-beating loss Friday night when they host the Los Angeles Clippers, who are trying to dig out of an early...

Wizards on positive run while awaiting Trae Young; Pelicans keep sliding
When the New Orleans Pelicans lost to the Hawks on Wednesday night, four-time All-Star guard Trae Young was sitting in street clothes on Atlanta's bench. When the Pelicans face Washington on Friday night, they could see Young again, but on the Wizards.,The biggest news regarding Friday night's Pelic...

76ers adding to chemistry ahead of road-trip opener at Magic
The Philadelphia 76ers are building chemistry among the members of their version of the "Big Three," and that's music to the ears of star Joel Embiid.,Winners of four of their last five games overall, the 76ers will look to continue their recent good fortune on Friday when they open a three-game roa...

Raptors on verge of tying Celtics near top of Eastern standings
The Toronto Raptors have been looking up at the host Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings for much of the season, but the Raptors will have a chance to pull even with the Celtics when the teams meet Friday night.,Boston's 114-110 home loss to Denver on Wednesday night, coupled with Tor...

Underdog Panthers return to playoffs, host Rams in wild card
The Los Angeles Rams drew considerable attention during the season and could be in line for more accolades.,But the Carolina Panthers did enough to secure a home game in the NFL's wild-card round. The Rams will visit for Saturday's game in Charlotte.,The Rams were second in the NFC West, though they...

Penguins seek 6th straight win vs. Devils as Evgeni Malkin nears return
The Pittsburgh Penguins enter Thursday night's game against the New Jersey Devils on a season-best five-game winning streak, and may see a key player return when they welcome their guests for a Metropolitan Division matchup.,Evgeni Malkin returned to practice with the team on Tuesday after missing m...

Berkly Catton's breakout fuels Kraken into clash vs. Wild
It's said that a player's first NHL goal is the toughest one to score.,That was definitely the case for Seattle's Berkly Catton.,Catton, the eighth overall pick in the 2024 draft, was goalless in his first 27 games for the Kraken before beating Boston's Jeremy Swayman early in the second period Tues...

Connor McDavid aims to prolong streak as Oilers visit reeling Jets
The Edmonton Oilers arrive in Winnipeg on Thursday looking to fix their road game, while the Jets are simply trying to stop the bleeding.,Winnipeg is winless in its last 10 games (0-6-4), the franchise's longest skid since relocating from Atlanta in 2011. The Jets sit last in the NHL, 10 points out ...

Fresh off 9-0 win, Isles begin 7-game trek vs. Predators
Coming off one of the most lopsided wins in franchise history, the New York Islanders look to carry the momentum into a seven-game road trip that begins with Thursday's matchup with the Nashville Predators.,New York's 9-0 rout of the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday matched the largest margin of victory...

Trying to stay hot, soaring Sabres visit ailing Rangers
The Buffalo Sabres went nearly a month without losing a game and are still trying to recover from their slow start. ,Examples like Tuesday's win over the Vancouver Canucks have been helpful, and the Sabres aim to keep their hot stretch Thursday night with a visit to the banged-up New York Rangers.,T...