review Page 528 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Depleted Mavs hope to tap back into their game vs. Pelicans
A slew of injuries hasn't slowed down the Dallas Mavericks.,Dallas was getting contributions from nearly everyone before it went into the All-Star break. The Mavericks will try to harness that momentum again when they face the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.,Playing without Anthony Da...

Artur Beterbiev, Dmitry Bivol set for rematch in Saudi Arabia
Boxing's "Riyadh Season" continues Saturday night with Artur Beterbiev defending his light heavyweight championships against Dmitry Bivol in a rematch from last October.,Beterbiev (21-0, 20 KOs) won a majority decision against Bivol (23-1, 12 KOs) to win Bivol's WBA title while Beterbiev defended hi...

No. 3 Duke strolls into New York, ailing Illinois vows 'fight' at MSG
When Brad Underwood committed to bring Illinois to face No. 3 Duke in a Saturday night main event at Madison Square Garden, it sounded like a magnificent marketing opportunity thanks to the national FOX audience -- and a fabulous measuring stick to find out how far the Illini might go in March., ,In...

Heat bring 'clarity' into second-half opener at Toronto
The Miami Heat will visit the Toronto Raptors on Friday night looking to snap a four-game losing streak and start a push for playoff positioning.,The Heat return from the All-Star break sitting ninth in the Eastern Conference while the Raptors are 13th after losing five of their past six games.,"The...

Short-handed Spurs battle Suns in Kevin Durant's return to Austin
The San Antonio Spurs will be the de facto home team when they square off against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday in Austin, Texas, but they won't have the game's most popular player in their huddle.,That's because the contest will be a homecoming for the Suns' Kevin Durant. It will mark the first time...

No. 2 Florida, riding win streak, faces optimistic LSU
Florida is riding a five-game winning streak, with each victory by at least nine points and the closest one coming on the road against No. 1 Auburn.,The No. 2 Gators will try to keep building momentum when they face LSU on Saturday in Baton Rouge, La.,Florida (23-3, 10-3 Southeastern Conference) beg...

After stumbling out of break, Lakers set to battle Blazers
The Los Angeles Lakers continue to insist it will take time to assimilate Luka Doncic into the group.,Apparently they can't beat the woeful Charlotte Hornets while they try to figure it out.,One night after a humbling defeat, the Lakers will look for a better result when they visit the Portland Trai...

Healthy Nuggets eye ninth straight win as Hornets visit
Riding an eight-game winning streak, the Denver Nuggets return to action, rested and ready for the last 27 games of the regular season. The Charlotte Hornets aren't as fresh for Thursday night's matchup in Denver.,Charlotte was in action Wednesday in the first NBA game since All-Star weekend and wil...

Spurs battle Suns in Kevin Durant's first return to Austin as pro
The San Antonio Spurs will be the de facto home team when they square off against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday in Austin, Texas, but they won't have the game's most popular player in their huddle.,That's because the contest will be a homecoming for the Suns' Kevin Durant. It will mark the first time...

Michigan State, Michigan meet with Big Ten lead on the line
If Michigan State and Michigan weren't rivals, this would already be big enough of a deal. But since they are heated foes, it only makes the Big Ten's biggest game of the season to date even more intense as the two meet for the first time this season on Friday night in Ann Arbor.,The game will be fo...

Spurs battle Suns in Durant’s first return to Austin as a professional
The San Antonio Spurs will be the de facto home team when they square off against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday in Austin, Texas, but they won't have the game's most popular player in their huddle.,That's because the contest will be a homecoming for the Suns' Kevin Durant. It will mark the first time...

Marquette shoots for ninth straight win over Villanova
Following a rough stretch to begin February, No. 16 Marquette appears to have stabilized heading into Friday's Big East matchup at Villanova.,The Golden Eagles (20-6, 11-4 Big East) are trending toward a prominent seed in next month's NCAA Tournament, though things looked a bit shaky earlier this mo...

Refreshed Clippers, Bucks eager to make playoff push
After a much-needed All-Star break for both teams, the Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks believe they're well-positioned for the final stretch of the regular season. ,Los Angeles holds the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, while the Bucks are fifth in the East.,Both teams hope to...

Knicks come out of break with confidence against sliding Bulls
The New York Knicks prepared for their challenging schedule following the All-Star Break in about the only way a blue-collar team could do so: By playing their longest game of the season.,The Knicks will begin their playoff push Thursday night, when they host the Chicago Bulls as both teams return f...

Seeking win to boost NCAA chances, Ohio State welcomes Northwestern
Looking ahead. That's all Ohio State can do as the Buckeyes seek to rebound from a loss to rival Michigan when they host Northwestern on Thursday.,The Buckeyes (15-11, 7-8 Big Ten) hoped a victory over the then-No. 20 Wolverines on Sunday would fortify their bid to make the NCAA Tournament for the f...

Jake Knapp's everywhere at the Mexico Open and eager to repeat
Jake Knapp is seeing himself everywhere. The airport. The hotel. Obviously, the golf course.,Knapp's image is plastered everywhere at the Mexico Open at VidantaWorld in Vallarta, Mexico, where he will begin the defense of his first PGA Tour title Thursday.,"Usually you know who won the year before a...

U.S., Canada square off again in 4 Nations Face-Off title bout
BOSTON -- With apologies to Finland and Sweden, this is what most everyone wanted.,The championship of the first-ever 4 Nations Face-Off will come down to a United States-Canada rematch on Thursday night.,U.S. coach Mike Sullivan, a Massachusetts native, knows that this "great hockey city" will be a...

Cavaliers ride latest win streak into meeting with Nets
A significant measure of how the regular season is unfolding for the Cleveland Cavaliers is that they can talk about pursuing other trophies after Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley teamed up to win the All-Star skills competition.,After a season-opening 15-game winning streak and another 12-game run,...

Magic 'rejuvenated' entering critical clash with Hawks
There's a good chance the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic are going to be muscling with each other for playoff position over the final eight weeks of the season. ,That makes head-to-head matchups, like the one scheduled for Thursday in Atlanta, even more important.,The teams are neck-and-neck in the...

Pacers get thrown right into fire after break, host Grizzlies
There will be no easing back into action after the All-Star break for the Indiana Pacers when they face the Memphis Grizzlies on Thursday night in Indianapolis.,Indiana coach Rick Carlisle knows his squad will need to be switched to on from the opening tip against one of the league's most dangerous ...