review Page 89 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Without Mikel Brown Jr., No. 6 seed Louisville tips off vs. No. 11 USF
It's safe to say Pat Kelsey's second season at Louisville hasn't gone entirely to plan.,Yes, the Cardinals are back in the NCAA Tournament, earning the No. 6 seed in the East Region. But expectations were higher for the team, which was picked to finish second in the Atlantic Coast Conference this se...

Georgia meets Saint Louis in anticipated track meet
Georgia coach Mike White offered up a quick summation of Thursday night's NCAA Tournament Midwest Region first-round game against Saint Louis in Buffalo, N.Y.,"We're playing a dangerous team," he said. "And we're pretty dangerous ourselves.",The eighth-seeded Bulldogs (22-10) looked very dangerous a...

No. 5 St. John's out to prove seeding too low vs. No. 12 Northern Iowa
A sunny, oceanside locale for the NCAA Tournament opener surely fits a Big East Conference champion, although everything else surrounding St. John's return to the big dance has raised questions.,The Red Storm (28-6) won both the Big East regular-season title and the conference tournament, yet secure...

AJ Dybantsa, No. 6 BYU take aim at No. 11 Texas
PORTLAND, Ore. - Elite freshman AJ Dybantsa put BYU's No. 6 seed in perspective after the NCAA Tournament brackets were revealed Sunday.,"Obviously, going into the tournament, you wanted to be a higher seed," Dybantsa said, "but as long as you're dancing, that's all that really matters.",The Cougars...

Playoff-bound Nuggets, jockeying for position, take on undermanned Grizzlies
The Denver Nuggets will continue jockeying for Western Conference playoff positioning on Wednesday night, visiting a Memphis Grizzlies team on a much different trajectory heading into the final month of the regular season. ,Denver, playing the second leg of a back-to-back set, enters the night tied ...

With Anthony Edwards out, Wolves asking for team effort vs. Jazz
The Minnesota Timberwolves passed their first test without Anthony Edwards. ,Now, they will try to do it again.,The Timberwolves will go for back-to-back wins when they tip off against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night in Minneapolis. ,Minnesota is coming off a 116-104 home win against the Phoenix Su...

Deni Avdija, Trail Blazers intent on not overlooking Pacers
Looking to stay in the hunt for a top-eight seed in the Western Conference, the Portland Trail Blazers will try for back-to-back wins for the first time in over five weeks when they face the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night in Indianapolis.,Portland, currently the No. 10 seed, trails the No. 9 Gold...

Playoffs? Check. Next up for Thunder: Handle lowly Nets
The Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the first step in their title defense and saw Shai Gilgeous-Alexander extend his historic streak on Tuesday.,After becoming the first team to secure a playoff berth this season, the Thunder will attempt to earn their 10th straight victory and widen their lead atop ...

Penguins, buoyed by blasting Avalanche, seek encore vs. Hurricanes
The Pittsburgh Penguins are coming off what might be their most impressive result of the season.,Two nights after beating the team with the best record in the NHL, the Penguins will try to conquer a team tied for the most points in the Eastern Conference.,Pittsburgh opposes the Carolina Hurricanes o...

Cole Hutson could debut, boost Capitals' offense against Senators
The Washington Capitals welcome the Ottawa Senators to the American capital on Wednesday night. The game may also mark the debut of Washington's newest player.,Cole Hutson, who signed his entry-level contract over the weekend, took part in his first team practice on Tuesday. A second-round pick in t...

Caps prospect Cole Hutson could debut, boost offense against Senators
The Washington Capitals welcome the Ottawa Senators to the American capital on Wednesday night. The game may also mark the debut of Washington's newest player.,Cole Hutson, who signed his entry-level contract over the weekend, took part in his first team practice on Tuesday. A second-round pick in t...

Without JT Toppin, Texas Tech sliding into 5 vs. 12 match with Akron
Texas Tech does not enter the NCAA Tournament at its best.,The Red Raiders were building quite a resume with four wins over top-11 opponents -- including Duke and Arizona -- before losing JT Toppin to a torn ACL on Feb. 17. They held things together for a time without Toppin, who was named an AP fir...

Virginia opens vs. Wright State as Ryan Odom's arc comes full circle
PHILADELPHIA -- Eight years ago, Ryan Odom became the first coach to guide a No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 in the NCAA Tournament.,On the wrong side of history that night was a stunned Virginia. Now Odom's story has come full circle as the former UMBC coach not only has gotten the Cavaliers back to t...

Gonzaga looks to extend NCAA Tournament opener streak vs. Kennesaw State
PORTLAND -- Gonzaga returned to its usual spot in the NCAA Tournament field this season, earning its 27th straight appearance.,There was no such thing as usual this season for 14th-seeded Kennesaw State, which suspended its leading scorer at midseason due to a federal gambling investigation and tied...

Kevin Durant expects better of himself in Rockets' rematch with Lakers
Kevin Durant is a 16-time All-Star, a four-time scoring champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and soon will pass Michael Jordan for fifth in career points. His credentials are unassailable.,So when Durant insisted upon shouldering the blame for the Houston Rockets' fourth-quarter collapse against the ...

Flyers’ playoff hopes teeter ahead of consequential Ducks clash
The Philadelphia Flyers kick off a three-game, make-it-or-break-it California road trip on Wednesday night when they face the Anaheim Ducks.,Entering Tuesday, Philadelphia was seven points behind both the third-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division and the Boston Bruins for the final...

Blues riding post-break surge into clash with struggling Flames
As much as it is a long shot for the St. Louis Blues to make the playoffs, they have a golden chance to keep the faith when they continue their road trip Wednesday against the slumping Calgary Flames.,The Blues are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Sunday, but they have been one of the l...

League-best Avalanche try to stem Stars’ push for first place
The playoffs don't begin for another month, but Wednesday night will have a postseason atmosphere when the Colorado Avalanche host the Dallas Stars in a matchup of the top teams in the NHL.,Colorado has led the league for most of the season but losing three of its last four allowed red-hot Dallas to...

Fast-rising Hawks go for 11th straight win vs. Mavericks
The hottest team in the NBA looks to make it 11 straight victories when the Atlanta Hawks visit the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night.,Atlanta hasn't won at least 11 in a row since winning a franchise-record 19 straight in 2014-2015.,Granted, Atlanta has played some of the teams in the bottom half of...

Raptors feeling things start to click as key road trip begins at Bulls
Consecutive home wins have helped the Toronto Raptors regain momentum and maintain their grasp on the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference playoff race.,On Wednesday, the Raptors will aim to stop a road funk as they open a five-game trip with a visit to the Chicago Bulls.,Toronto is coming off Sunda...