review Page 241 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Vols reset: No. 18 Tennessee determined to contend again
In an ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference, coach Rick Barnes' squad set a high bar last season for the current crop of Volunteers to match.,A 30-win season ended in the Elite Eight in March and the Volunteers finished No. 5 in the final AP Top 25 poll, which remarkably had four SEC programs in...

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...

Banged-up Hurricanes return home against Golden Knights
The Carolina Hurricanes will play their first home game in more than two weeks when the Vegas Golden Knights visit Tuesday night in Raleigh, N.C.,But the Hurricanes might not look all that recognizable to their fans.,"It's a huge concern with the injuries we have," Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour sai...

New faces debut as Clemson opens with New Hampshire
Three consecutive NCAA Tournament trips is the goal for Clemson, and the journey begins Monday with the first game of the regular season against visiting New Hampshire., ,The goal is a repeat for the Tigers, but coach Brad Brownell is loading 10 new faces on the Clemson bus this season. ,He has six ...

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...

Relieved Flames face Maple Leafs in search of more success
One team will emerge with a welcome second straight win Tuesday night when the Calgary Flames visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.,The Flames ended an eight-game losing streak in which they were 0-7-1 Sunday night with a 5-1 home victory over the New York Rangers.,"The overall feeling is a little bit of r...

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...

No. 6 Duke, Texas expecting test in high-profile opener
No. 6 Duke has run this race before, the one that begins with newcomers starting the season in consideration for anchor roles with a title contender.,Head coach Jon Scheyer is prepping the Blue Devils to be ready to sprint out of the gates when Duke tangles with a rebuilt Texas team with Sean Miller...

Reconstructed Virginia roster chasing chemistry in opener with Rider
Twelve months after Tony Bennett's surprising retirement, Virginia has been almost completely overhauled. ,The Cavaliers open the season with new head coach Ryan Odom and 12 newcomers on Monday against Rider in Charlottesville, Va.,The only players returning from a team that finished 15-17 under int...

No. 25 North Carolina fixed on fast start vs. Central Arkansas
When the light goes green on the 2025-26 college basketball season, North Carolina plans to go with an all-gas approach to eliminate a recent history of starting slow.,Expect the No. 25 Tar Heels to be fully attentive when their schedule begins with a Nov. 3 game against Central Arkansas in Chapel H...

Charlotte, NYCFC have reasons to be confident heading into playoff series
Charlotte FC will attempt to earn its first MLS Cup Playoff win in regulation when it hosts a Round One 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 ...

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,...

Rockets trying to unleash Kevin Durant; Nets loving their "fight"
There was little reason to expect the Houston Rockets' offseason addition of Kevin Durant to their lineup would yield a seamless transition, even given Durant's reputation as one of the premier scorers in NBA history and the Rockets' standing as one of the top teams in the Western Conference.,Relate...

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...