review Page 553 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Knicks face gauntlet of playoff contenders, starting with Grizzlies
The final lengthy homestand of the season for the New York Knicks provides another chance to prove their mettle against fellow playoff-bound teams.,The Knicks will continue their five-game homestand Monday night, when they host the surging Memphis Grizzlies in their first clash this season.,Both tea...

No. 2 Duke hopes to grow from close call, has NC State next
Even coming off a critical road test, there's little chance No. 2 Duke will overlook its next opponent.,The Blue Devils have Monday night's home assignment against North Carolina State in Durham, N.C.,Duke (17-2, 9-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) has won 13 consecutive games, with none tougher than pul...

Raptors try to keep stacking wins, host Pelicans
The suddenly surging Toronto Raptors aim to extend their season-best three-game winning streak when they return home to face the New Orleans Pelicans on Monday night.,Toronto completed a two-game road sweep of the Atlanta Hawks with a 117-94 victory on Saturday. The Raptors have won five of their pa...

Quinn Hughes sparks Canucks into battle vs. Blues
Defenseman Quinn Hughes is doing his best to keep the Vancouver Canucks in the Western Conference playoff chase.,He's scored five goals and earned two assists in his past five games leading into Monday night's contest against the host St. Louis Blues.,Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen faced Hughes t...

Devils take injury issues into matchup with Flyers
Injuries have suddenly become a topic of concern for the New Jersey Devils heading into their matchup at the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.,One game after losing No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom to an MCL strain, the Devils watched team captain Nico Hischier depart 36 seconds into the third period of a ...

No. 21 Michigan hopes lessons learned translate vs. Penn State
No. 21 Michigan likely will fall out of the Associated Press Top 25 before it plays host to Penn State on Monday night in Ann Arbor, Mich., following a humbling 91-64 defeat against No. 11 Purdue on Friday. ,But first-year Wolverines coach Dusty May wants his team to use the loss as a tool from whic...

Kings out to get revival back on track vs. Nets
The Sacramento Kings are appreciative that De'Aaron Fox has been playing through a thumb injury and other ailments, even as the production has taken a hit in recent games.,Coming off their most lopsided loss under interim coach Doug Christie, the Kings hope to see Fox heat up Monday night when they ...

Rockets bring road success into matchup with Celtics
As if facing the defending NBA champions on the road was not enough, the visiting Houston Rockets must also contend with the development that the Boston Celtics' Derrick White appears to have broken out of his shooting slump when the teams plays Monday night.,White entered Saturday's matchup with th...

Cavaliers to focus on defense as Pistons pay a visit
Defense has become a growing concern for the Cleveland Cavaliers, who look to snap a season-high three-game losing streak when they face the visiting Detroit Pistons on Monday.,The Eastern Conference-leading Cavaliers lost to the Houston Rockets for the second time in four days on Saturday in a 135-...

Hornets feeling upbeat ahead of visit from Lakers
The Charlotte Hornets really do want to go full-speed ahead. Much of that depends on available personnel.,A roster that is near full strength will be vital when the Hornets face the visiting Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night.,"There's a lot of talk about just trying to keep our foot on the gas and ...

Confident Red Wings take aim at visiting Kings
There's a different feeling in the Detroit Red Wings' locker room.,"For me, the biggest thing is the sense of belief," said Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said, who is set to face his former team. "How we got to believing we can play with anybody, I'm not sure. We just started chipping away at differ...

Frustrated Knights look to take troubles out on Panthers
The slumping Vegas Golden Knights begin their final homestand before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off when they host the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers on Sunday in Las Vegas. ,Both teams enter the contest one point out of first place in their respective divisions. ,The Golden Kn...

Flames heating up as they head into rematch vs. Jets
The Calgary Flames started their current winning streak with a road victory over the Winnipeg Jets.,The Flames must duplicate that feat to continue their run whey they finish a quick two-game sojourn back in Winnipeg on Sunday.,Thanks to their 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, the Fla...

Wild seek to reverse recent fortunes in clash vs. Blackhawks
The Minnesota Wild are struggling to regain their footing after losing five of their past six games ahead of their visit on Sunday to the Chicago Blackhawks.,Wild coach John Hynes challenged the team after Saturday's 5-4 home loss to the Calgary Flames.,"Now we're choosing to lose," Hynes said. "Tha...

Flames heating as they head into rematch vs. Jets
The Calgary Flames started their current winning streak with a road victory over the Winnipeg Jets.,The Flames must duplicate that feat to continue their run whey they finish a quick two-game sojourn back in Winnipeg on Sunday.,Thanks to their 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday, the Fla...

Senators face quick turnaround vs. Utah HC
The Ottawa Senators will have little time to celebrate their latest big win as they host the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday.,It is the third consecutive weekend the Senators have played back-to-back games. Coach Travis Green's team is 5-0-0 in those games, including a gritty 2-1 victory over the Toronto...

Red-hot Rangers get a view of new-look Avalanche
The New York Rangers spent Saturday afternoon practicing for the Colorado Avalanche, rooting for their next opponent to earn a regulation win over the Boston Bruins and preparing for two players slightly sooner than expected.,Locked in a tight race for a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, the...

Surging Blazers aim to buckle down vs. West-leading Thunder
The Portland Trail Blazers will put their season-high four-game winning streak to the test when they face the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday.,Portland is beginning a seven-game homestand with a matchup against the Western Conference-leading Thunder, who are trying to bounce back from a 121...

Northwestern eyes elusive road win vs. No. 17 Illinois
Northwestern hasn't won at Illinois since January 2013 -- two months before Chris Collins became the Wildcats' head coach., ,Collins has led Northwestern to the first three NCAA Tournament appearances in school annals, yet he hasn't been able to lead the Wildcats to a victory in Champaign. They've l...

On 3-game win streak, Texas Tech hosts struggling Oklahoma St.
Texas Tech will look for its fourth straight win and a push that could move the team back to the Top 25 when the Red Raiders host Oklahoma State on Sunday afternoon in a Big 12 Conference clash in Lubbock, Texas.,The Red Raiders (14-4, 5-2) have been at their best as they have gotten healthier over ...