review Page 481 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Jets face Devils with NHL's top spot in clear view
The Winnipeg Jets have locked up a playoff spot and will proceed toward securing the top spot in the Central Division and the Western Conference when they host the New Jersey Devils on Friday.,The Jets (49-14-4, 102 points) clinched a postseason berth for a third straight season and the fourth time...

Hot Golden Knights look to soar past Blackhawks
A four-game winning streak is nothing new to the Pacific Division-leading Las Vegas Golden Knights, who tote their fifth surge of at least that many games into Friday's visit to the Chicago Blackhawks.,A varied attack, however, has been novel for Vegas since the 4 Nations Face-Off, as the club has a...

Bucks to face off against Knicks with stars missing
Two top-six teams in the Eastern Conference, both missing key stars, face off Friday night as the Milwaukee Bucks host the New York Knicks.,New York saw its two-game win streak come to an end on Wednesday as the visiting Los Angeles Clippers came back to win 126-113.,"They were fresh on two days of ...

Hornets, working on 'competitiveness,' visit Raptors
The Charlotte Hornets are headed north of the border on Friday, visiting the Toronto Raptors amid a stretch that has seen the Hornets lose five of their past six games. ,That includes three discouraging losses in a row. Since March 21, Charlotte (18-54) has suffered a 35-point loss to the Oklahoma C...

Warriors hopeful Stephen Curry can return vs. Pelicans
Stephen Curry's return cannot come soon enough for the Golden State Warriors.,And it looks like he'll be back when the Warriors visit the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.,Golden State coach Steve Kerr said Curry is officially day-to-day and will be listed as questionable Friday, but Kerr added,...

Wild-card chases in focus as Blue Jackets host Canucks
Two teams fighting for wild-card playoff spots in their respective conferences will meet when the Vancouver Canucks visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday night.,Vancouver (34-26-12, 80 points) defeated the New York Islanders 5-2 on Wednesday night for its second straight win and is in the thick ...

Kentucky-Tennessee III: Rivals square up for first-ever NCAA Tournament meeting
INDIANAPOLIS -- No. 3 Kentucky and No. 2 Tennessee will tangle for the third time this season, and the stakes are higher than ever in the first NCAA Tournament meeting between the rivals. ,The Southeastern Conference foes collide in the first of two Midwest Region semifinal games at Lucas Oil Stadiu...

Clippers continue playoff push against woeful Nets
The Los Angeles Clippers still find themselves in a logjam in the Western Conference playoff race, and their performance of late eventually could help reduce the crowd around them.,The Clippers will attempt to strengthen their grip on sixth place in the West on Friday night when they visit the skidd...

Michigan State looks to find range in clash vs. Ole Miss
ATLANTA -- It is fair to say Michigan State has evolved, and then some, since its first trip to Atlanta in November. ,Then unranked, the Spartans fell to No. 1 Kansas in the Champions Classic in its first marquee game of the season. ,More than four months later, second-seeded Michigan State (29-6) i...

Short-handed Oilers hope to extend dominance of Kraken
With star forwards Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid still sidelined due to injuries, the Edmonton Oilers continue their pursuit of a top-two finish in the Pacific Division when they travel to Seattle to play the Kraken on Thursday.,It will be the second game of a back-to-back set for the Oilers (41...

Coby White-led Bulls look to remain hot vs. Lakers
The Chicago Bulls are brimming with belief following a fruitful road trip as they return to Illinois to host the revitalized Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.,The Bulls (32-40) went 4-2 on their recently completed western swing, continuing their strong late-season revival that has reaped eight wins fr...

Stars, after stressful win, aim to stay on track vs. Flames
The Dallas Stars head into a Thursday road clash with the Calgary Flames on a winning note but not feeling all that proud of themselves.,The Stars, who have earned points in six consecutive games (4-0-2) and are pushing for the top spot in the Central Division, arrive in Calgary after a 4-3 road vic...

Reserve could play key role in Pacers-Wizards matchup
After a LeBron James buzzer-beating tip-in spoiled Indiana's prospect of a perfect homestand, the Pacers head on the road Thursday to meet the Washington Wizards.,Both Indiana and Washington are playing the second leg of back-to-back sets, coming off different results.,The Pacers (42-30) concluded a...

Streaking Maple Leafs look to stay hot as they visit Sharks
The Toronto Maple Leafs will look to build on its lead atop the Atlantic Division when they open a three-game road trip through California against the San Jose Sharks on Thursday night.,Toronto (43-25-3, 89 points) travels to the Bay Area following a convincing 7-2 home-ice win over the Philadelphia...

Two of NHL's hottest teams meet as Kings visit Avs
The Colorado Avalanche are surging at the right time, but their 10-game home winning streak will be tested when they host the equally hot Los Angeles Kings on Thursday in Denver.,Colorado (44-25-3, 91 points) is 11-1-1 in its past 13 games overall and 15-4-1 over the past 20, and sits in third place...

Surging Blues hope to complete season sweep of Predators
The St. Louis Blues continue to play their best hockey when it matters most.,A portion of their recent success has come at the expense of the Nashville Predators.,The surging Blues eye an eighth straight victory Thursday night when they oppose the Nashville Predators, a team they beat twice already ...

In thick of playoff fight, Grizzlies visit Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder's spot in the postseason pecking order is secure with 10 games remaining in the regular season. The Memphis Grizzlies, on the other hand, are fighting for playoff positioning.,Thursday night, the teams will square off in Oklahoma City.,The Grizzlies still have a shot at a t...

Kings look to stay in playoff picture as they host Trail Blazers
The Sacramento Kings are mired in a four-game losing streak for the second time this month, untimely skids that are hindering Sacramento's chances of gaining a Western Conference play-in berth.,The Kings will look to break through Thursday night when they host the Portland Trail Blazers, a team faci...

Rockets look to ride balanced offense to win over Jazz
The Houston Rockets travel to Salt Lake City on Thursday night to face the Utah Jazz in a game of teams that are going in opposite directions.,The Rockets (47-26) have won 10 of 11 as they approach the end of the regular season on a tear. Meanwhile, the Jazz (16-57) enter this contest having lost th...

Derik Queen, No. 4 Maryland set sights on top-seeded Florida
SAN FRANCISCO -- Florida's Todd Golden hopes a visit to his old coaching grounds will be just a brief stopover on the Gators' way back to the center of the college basketball stage. Meanwhile, Maryland hero Derik Queen makes the trip to the West Coast with the opportunity to grow his profile on a na...