review Page 518 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Early derby will test Charlotte FC, Atlanta United
Members of Charlotte FC acknowledge this season could become something special, so putting some of that on display in front of the home crowd is a much-anticipated opportunity Saturday afternoon in Charlotte.,The opponent will be rival Atlanta United FC.,"You feel this is an important game," Charlot...

Victory critical for Iowa, Northwestern in race for Big Ten tourney berths
Fifteen of the 18 schools in the Big Ten qualify for next month's conference tournament in Indianapolis.,Neither Iowa (15-13, 6-11 Big Ten) nor Northwestern (15-13, 6-11) have guaranteed a berth, which adds urgency to Friday's game between the Hawkeyes and host Wildcats in Evanston, Ill.,For Iowa, l...

Rangers adjusting without injured Adam Fox, take on Maple Leafs
While the New York Rangers routed the New York Islanders on Tuesday, they ended the night facing a potential long-term issue of replacing Adam Fox, one of the NHL's more productive defensemen.,Fox is on injured reserve due to an upper-body injury and the Rangers will be without him for at least week...

Chet Holmgren nearing return to top form as Thunder visit Hawks
Chet Holmgren said he still has a long way to go before returning to his pre-injury best for the Oklahoma City Thunder, who visit the Atlanta Hawks on Friday night.,That's a daunting thought for opposing NBA teams.,Holmgren, who missed 40 games earlier this season with a fractured pelvis, is coming ...

Knicks, with next-man-up attitude, clash with Grizzlies
The New York Knicks are hoping for a quick recovery for big man Karl-Anthony Towns, who suffered a knee injury.,Until then, they might be able to survive his absence if Mikal Bridges performs as he did against the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. Bridges picked up the loss of Towns' scoring from the...

Big Ten title on the line as No. 2 UCLA, No. 4 USC collide
When No. 2 UCLA and No. 4 Southern California meet Saturday in Los Angeles, the Bruins will be in pursuit of payback for their only loss of the season. And as they take their home floor, UCLA knows success will start with containing JuJu Watkins, USC's standout sophomore. ,UCLA (28-1, 16-1 Big Ten C...

Stars vow to 'be better' as Kings come to town
The Dallas Stars will be eager to get back on track when they open a four-game homestand against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night.,The Stars didn't like the way they competed in a 6-4 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday, a poor way to close out a six-game road trip that was separated b...

Bulls continue fight for spot in standings against Raptors
The Chicago Bulls enter Friday's visit from the Toronto Raptors with seven losses in their past eight games yet have kept a measure of resolve.,That's because the team's three losses since the All-Star break have come by 11 combined points, including a two-point defeat to the Eastern Conference-cont...

Heat host Pacers, look to home-court advantage to rise in standings
So far this season, no team in the NBA has played fewer home games than the Miami Heat.,However, over the final 25 games, the Heat will be home for 17 of them, including Friday night when they are set to host the Indiana Pacers.,"It felt like we haven't played here in forever," Heat coach Erik Spoel...

Celtics launch long homestand against NBA-best Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers will be looking to extend their eight-game winning streak Friday night when they visit the Boston Celtics in a matchup between the top two teams in the Eastern Conference standings., ,Cleveland leads Boston by 6.5 games, but has lost two of the three meetings against the Celt...

Amid John Wooden backdrop, UCLA takes on No. 20 Purdue
In a matchup pairing legendary John Wooden's alma mater against the program he coached to 10 national championships, No. 20 Purdue will face UCLA in a Big Ten Conference game in West Lafayette, Ind., on Friday night.,The two programs that the late Wooden is associated with played most recently in De...

Canucks look to pick up steam at expense of Ducks
The Vancouver Canucks will look to maintain their recent dominance over the Ducks when the Pacific Division clubs square off Thursday night in Anaheim, Calif.,The Canucks have won eight straight games against the Ducks, dating to the start of the 2022-23 season. Vancouver most recently skated to a 5...

High-octane Jets face Predators, aim to continue win streak
The Winnipeg Jets will put their franchise-record 11-game winning streak on the line when they visit the struggling Nashville Predators on Thursday night.,The Jets, who last were defeated on Jan. 20, have climbed to the top of the NHL standings. That said, they were not fooling themselves on their p...

Golden Knights seek redemption vs. visiting Blackhawks
The Vegas Golden Knights enter Thursday night's game against the visiting Chicago Blackhawks with a two-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers in the Pacific Division standings. ,However, head coach Bruce Cassidy wasn't pleased with his team's last outing, a 5-2 loss at Los Angeles on Monday. The Golde...

Pushing for a playoff spot, Utah hosts injury-riddled Wild
The Utah Hockey Club seeks a third straight win on Thursday night when the Minnesota Wild travel to Salt Lake City.,Utah has won its last two contests by identical 2-1 scores, and in similar fashion. Lawson Crouse netted the game-winner on Tuesday with 7:48 left in the third period to help Utah defe...

Suns look to move into play-in contention as they face Pelicans
The Phoenix Suns do a lot of talking about making a sustained postseason run, but their on-court results continue to fall short.,The Suns are on the outside of the Western Conference play-in race with 24 games left as they begin a pivotal two-game home set against the New Orleans Pelicans on Thursda...

Timberwolves take aim at another West contender in Lakers
After a victory this week over the best in the West, the Minnesota Timberwolves will take on another foe ahead of them in the conference standings when they hit the road to face the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday.,The Timberwolves come in after a 131-128 overtime road victory against the Oklahoma Ci...

Mavericks return home in hopes of righting ship against Hornets
The Dallas Mavericks return home to face the struggling Charlotte Hornets on Thursday following an emotional loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and former franchise star Luka Doncic.,Dallas fell to Luka's Lakers 107-99 on the road on Tuesday, marking the Mavericks' second consecutive loss after tumbling...

Surging Sabres out to extend Hurricanes' tough stretch
The Carolina Hurricanes have taken a detour, but there's time to get back on track for a team that has been one of the most difficult to face over the past few seasons.,Experiencing a challenging period of transition, the Canes will be looking for a reset of sorts when the Buffalo Sabres visit Ralei...

Slumping Oilers look to get back on track vs. short-handed Panthers
Leon Draisaitl is dominating, but his Edmonton Oilers are slumping.,That, in essence, is the state of the Oilers, who are set to visit the Florida Panthers on Thursday night.,Draisaitl has scored 43 goals, leading the NHL by a wide margin. He also has at least one goal in six straight games.,Yet, th...