review Page 97 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
Blazers, trying to keep pace in playoff chase, go for sweep of Jazz
The Portland Trail Blazers are out to complete a four-game season sweep of the visiting Utah Jazz when the teams match up Friday night.,Portland averaged 136 points in the first three meetings, including a 20-point home victory on Jan. 5 and a 16-point road win on Feb. 12. The Trail Blazers also won...
Conference imbalance on display as Islanders host Kings
If the New York Islanders were in the Western Conference, they already would be preparing to host playoff games.,If the Los Angeles Kings were in the Eastern Conference, they likely would have spent the trade deadline looking toward the future instead of loading up for a postseason push.,Thanks to g...
Timberwolves look to reverse course against Warriors
Two teams battling to keep pace in the Western Conference playoff race meet when the Golden State Warriors face the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday in San Francisco.,Minnesota has slipped to sixth place in the crowded West standings after dropping three consecutive games, while fading Golden State ...
Iowa State tramples Texas Tech to reach Big 12 semifinals
Tamin Lipsey scored 20 points to help fifth-seeded Iowa State roll to a 75-53 victory over fourth-seeded Texas Tech on Thursday afternoon in Kansas City and advance to the Big 12 tournament semifinals.,Joshua Jefferson added 18 points, 13 rebounds and six assists as the No. 7-ranked Cyclones overcam...
Back among Big East's best, Villanova takes on Georgetown
NEW YORK -- Villanova's return to prominence after three seasons of mediocrity following coach Jay Wright's retirement will be official when its name gets selected for the NCAA Tournament.,Until the selection show on Sunday, Villanova (24-7) will attempt to improve its seeding for the NCAAs on Thurs...
Oklahoma in desperation mode for SEC tourney clash vs. Texas A&M
Oklahoma rolled past South Carolina in the first round of the SEC tournament on Wednesday in Nashville to set up a third season meeting with Texas A&M, a match that means much more to the Sooners than denying the Aggies a season three-peat.,Playing for their NCAA Tournament lives, the 11th-seeded So...
Victor Wembanyama, surging Spurs set sights on Nuggets
The San Antonio Spurs have been the hottest team in the league since Jan. 1.,They will look to continue their run of success on Thursday when they host the Denver Nuggets.,The Spurs boast MVP candidate Victor Wembanyama and a supporting cast that seems to showcase a different player every game, They...
After allowing 83 points by Bam Abedayo, Wizards try their luck against Magic
Having been trampled by Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat, the Washington Wizards now will turn their attention to another high-scoring offensive force, Paolo Banchero, when they visit the Orlando Magic on Thursday night.,The game pairs an Orlando team that's used five straight wins to move into fifth ...
No. 5 Houston begins defense of Big 12 tournament title vs. BYU
No. 5 Houston made a quick Big 12 impact last season, winning the conference tournament in its second year in the league.,Now, the second seed begins its run at a repeat Thursday against 10th-seeded BYU in a battle of the Cougars in the Big 12 tournament quarterfinals in Kansas City, Mo.,The victor ...
Coach Dan Hurley implores No. 6 UConn to limit turnovers vs. Xavier
NEW YORK -- After dominating the 2024 NCAA Tournament en route to its sixth national title and second straight, UConn took a slight step back last season.,This season, the Huskies were back to their normal lofty status, staying in the top 10 of the Associated Press poll through the entire regular se...
Ole Miss a surprising foe for Georgia in SEC tournament
Georgia will bring a historic regular season into its Southeastern Conference tournament opener Thursday night against upset winner Ole Miss in a second-round game in Nashville.,Georgia (22-9) set school regular-season records for wins and points scored, and ranked third in Division I with a 90.4 sc...
Kirill Kaprizov stepping up as Wild take aim at Flyers
Many teams in the NHL might need to choose between goal scoring from their top stars or from their depth players.,The Minnesota Wild have enjoyed both heading into their game on Thursdayt against the Philadelphia Flyers in Saint Paul, Minn.,"It's nice that some of the guys that we're expecting to sc...
Darryn Peterson, Kansas gear up for sizzling TCU in Big 12 tourney
No. 14 Kansas is rested and ready to use this week's Big 12 tournament as a tune-up of sorts for the NCAA Tournament.,That won't be easy when the third-seeded Jayhawks face perhaps the hottest team in the conference, No. 6 seed TCU, in the nightcap of the Big 12 quarterfinals on Thursday in Kansas C...
No. 19 North Carolina, Clemson battle again in ACC quarterfinals
No. 19-ranked North Carolina and Clemson just played an airtight game that went down to the wire last week in Chapel Hill, N.C.,The fourth-seeded Tar Heels (24-7) and fifth-seeded Tigers (23-9) won't have to dig far to pull out that game film as they prepare for a rapid rematch Thursday night in the...
With postseason hopes fading, Capitals face uphill climb vs. Sabres
The Washington Capitals will look to bolster their flickering playoff aspirations on Thursday when they visit the Buffalo Sabres.,The high-scoring Sabres, in turn, are roaring toward the postseason and will be looking for their ninth straight win.,After ending a three-game losing streak with an impr...
No. 1 Duke brings short-handed roster into clash vs. Florida State
Top-ranked Duke is at the point where it must balance the desire to win a 24th ACC tournament title with the need to be at its strongest, and healthiest, when the NCAA Tournament tips off.,Neither Patrick Ngongba II nor Caleb Foster, Duke's third- and fourth-leading scorers, respectively, will be av...
Well-rested UCLA opens Big Ten tourney play vs. Rutgers in third round
UCLA coach Mick Cronin enjoyed a few days of quiet preparation this week.,On Thursday night in Chicago, the noise will return.,No. 6 seed UCLA (21-10) will tip off against No. 14 seed Rutgers (14-18) in the third round of the Big Ten Conference tournament. Rutgers advanced with a 72-67 victory over ...
No. 18 Purdue eager to get back on track vs. Northwestern
After multiple stumbles to the end the regular season, 18th-ranked Purdue will seek to find the form that earned an early-season No. 1 ranking when the Boilermakers begin Big Ten tournament play against Northwestern on Thursday evening at Chicago.,Purdue (23-8) earned a double bye into the third rou...
Auburn leans on defense heading into SEC tourney matchup with No. 25 Tennessee
NASHVILLE -- Auburn hopes to bolster its NCAA Tournament resume when it meets No. 25-ranked Tennessee in the second round of the Southeastern Conference tournament on Thursday afternoon.,The 12th-seeded Tigers (17-15) trailed by 10 points in the first half but rallied to beat 13th-seeded Mississippi...
No. 2 Arizona rides considerable scoring depth into clash vs. UCF
Arizona captured the regular-season title in the Big 12, perhaps the toughest conference in the country, and Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd knows what that means.,Expectations that No. 2-ranked Arizona still will be playing basketball in April when the Final Four is held in Indianapolis.,The top-seeded ...