preview Page 81 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Clippers face major test against Cavaliers
In need of victories and yearning to test just how good they have become in recent weeks, the Los Angeles Clippers will get a chance to accomplish both when they play host to the NBA-best Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday.,The Clippers appear revived while winning six of their last seven games. That for...

Surging Blues aim to keep run going vs. Predators
The St. Louis Blues broke gravitational pull of .500 and climbed back into the Western Conference playoff chase with a 9-2-2 surge.,They got their offense into high gear while beating the Minnesota Wild 5-1 on the road Saturday and routing the Anaheim Ducks 7-2 at home Sunday. Jordan Kyrou had three...

Mikko Rantanen, Stars ready to move on to face Ducks
Now that the homecoming for Mikko Rantanen is over, the Dallas Stars can get back to focusing on playoff positioning.,The Stars are scheduled to host the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday evening, two days after losing 4-3 in overtime to the Colorado Avalanche.,It was Rantanen's first game back in Denver sin...

Celtics aim to complete season sweep of Nets
The Boston Celtics will look to continue their dominance over the visiting Brooklyn Nets when the teams meet Tuesday night.,Boston has won 13 of its last 14 games against Brooklyn, including a 115-113 victory at Brooklyn on Saturday. The Celtics are 3-0 against the Nets this season.,Kristaps Porzing...

Alex Ovechkin continues record climb as Capitals host Red Wings
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin enters Tuesday night's home game against the Detroit Red Wings eight goals short of becoming the most prolific scorer in NHL history.,Ovechkin has 887 career goals after a tally in Saturday's 5-1 road win over the San Jose Sharks. He is chasing Wayne Gretzky...

Penguins, Islanders still vying to keep postseason hopes alive
Impressive third periods by the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Islanders on Saturday and Sunday ensured they'd each still remain on the fringes of the Eastern Conference wildcard race for at least another game.,On Tuesday night, the Penguins and Islanders will try to damage the other's long-shot h...

Senators, Canadiens have playoffs in sight ahead of latest tilt
It's been eight years since the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens made the playoffs in the same season. That could change in 2025.,Seeking a seventh consecutive victory, the surging Senators try to avoid a third loss in as many tries this season to the Canadiens, who eye a fifth straight home w...

Hawks try to shore up defense, finish season sweep of Hornets
The Atlanta Hawks took a big misstep during the weekend.,They'll try to avoid another detour against a similar type of opponent.,Atlanta visits the Charlotte Hornets, who have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, on Tuesday night.,The Hawks (32-36) are hanging around playoff contention...

Seasons for Rockets, 76ers heading in different directions
Looking to extend their season-best six-game winning streak, the surging Houston Rockets will look to take advantage of the undermanned visiting Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.,Primed for a return to the NBA playoffs for the first time since 2020, Houston (43-25) pulled even with the Denver Nuggets fo...

Midwest Region: Top seed Houston looks primed for Final Four run
The top-seeded Houston Cougars have been knocking on the door in recent seasons and now appear primed to make a championship run.,Houston has reached the Sweet 16 the past five times the NCAA Tournament has been played. That includes a Final Four appearance in 2021 and the Elite Eight in 2022.,Last ...

West Region: Intriguing coaching matchups loom in early rounds
When the NCAA Selection Committee members filled out the West Region bracket, they must have been looking ahead to potential coaching matchups in the second round.,How else to explain this:,Todd Golden, the coach of top-seeded Florida, has never won an NCAA Tournament game. If he gets the first one,...

South Region: Despite recent struggles, Auburn is No. 1 overall for a reason
The top overall seed, Auburn, lives here. Even though the Tigers wobbled a bit at the end of the regular season and Southeastern Conference tournament with three losses in four games, they still amassed a whopping 16 Quad 1 wins from a 28-5 worksheet.,They might have the nation's best player in John...

East Region: No. 1 Duke's chance for title run goes through Cooper Flagg
A decade has passed since Duke won its most recent of five national championships, the longest title drought for the program since claiming its first in 1991. All five of those titles came under the direction of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.,Duke has the firepower in 2025 to end an excruciating w...

Slumping Kings look to regroup vs. Grizzlies
Time is of the essence for the Sacramento Kings, whose tenuous grasp on a spot in the play-in tournament weakened over the past week.,Sacramento (33-33) has lost four straight heading into a matchup against the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Monday and is ninth in the Western Conference standings.,Th...

Sizzling Warriors look to take down Nuggets, Nikola Jokic
Two teams that would meet in the first round if the playoffs started today get a chance for a statement win Monday night when the Denver Nuggets and Golden State Warriors duel in San Francisco.,The Nuggets (43-25) would have the home-court advantage in the 3 vs. 6 Western Conference series as well a...

Kings soar into matchup against Wild's struggling offense
The Los Angeles Kings take their five-game winning streak to Saint Paul, Minn., on Monday when they face the Minnesota Wild.,It's the third time this season Los Angeles has won at least five straight, and Quinton Byfield has been the offensive catalyst behind the recent streak. The Kings center has ...

Pistons' composure under the microscope against hobbled Pelicans
The Detroit Pistons surged into a strong playoff position by going 10-1 in a stretch that began Feb. 7.,Since then, they've lost four of six, including their last two.,They'll try to get back on a winning track when they begin a three-game road trip by facing the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night...

Knicks, missing Jalen Brunson, host freefalling Heat
The New York Knicks spent the last four games of their West Coast road trip trying to figure out their offense without Jalen Brunson.,The Miami Heat have spent a far longer period of time trying to rediscover themselves.,A pair of struggling Eastern Conference rivals will meet Monday night, when the...

Maple Leafs desperate to protect a lead as Flames begin road trip
The Toronto Maple Leafs have been letting leads slip away lately, and they aim to change that trend when they host the Calgary Flames on Monday night.,The Maple Leafs twice had one-goal leads over the Ottawa Senators on Saturday night before their 4-2 home loss.,It has become an annoying trait for a...

Skidding Blue Jackets seek offensive awakening vs. Devils
The Columbus Blue Jackets will aim to snap a three-game losing streak when they host the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.,Monday is the third of a four-game homestand for the Blue Jackets, who were blanked 4-0 by the New York Rangers on Saturday.,"I'll be honest, there was some frustration at the ...