v Page 184 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Atlantic Division-contending Canadiens, Lightning set for battle
Two of the teams tied atop the Atlantic Division in points face off when the Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday night.,The Lightning (48-24-6, 102 points), the Canadiens (46-22-10, 102 points) and the Buffalo Sabres (47-23-9, 102 points) each have a shot at claiming the div...

Mirra Andreeva cruises past Sloane Stephens in Linz
Top-seeded Mirra Andreeva won 75.8% of her first-serve points (25 of 33) and needed just 81 minutes to post a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Sloane Stephens on Wednesday in the second round of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz in Linz, Austria.,Andreeva, who received a first-round bye, overcame 33 unforced error...

Monaco's Valentin Vacherot stuns Lorenzo Musetti in Monte Carlo 2nd round
Valentin Vacherot became the first competitor from Monaco to reach the third round of the Monte-Carlo Masters since 2006 with a stunning 7-6 (6), 7-5 upset of fourth-seeded Italian Lorenzo Musetti on Wednesday.,Vacherot is the first Monegasque player to do so since his coach and half-brother, Benjam...

Flyers look to continue hot streak vs. sliding Red Wings
With the regular season winding down, the Philadelphia Flyers and Detroit Red Wings are heading in opposite directions. ,The Flyers look to continue their hot stretch Thursday when they visit the Red Wings, who are scuffling to the finish line. ,Philadelphia (40-26-12, 92 points) has won nine of its...

All-Star 2B, base stealer Davey Lopes dies at 80
Davey Lopes, a four-time All-Star second baseman and a prolific base stealer, died on Wednesday at the age of 80.,Lopes played for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1972-81, winning a World Series in his final season with the club.,He led the majors with 77 stolen bases in 1975 and topped the National Le...

Guardians pour it on late in rubber match vs. Royals
Angel Martinez had four hits, including a grand slam, and the Cleveland Guardians rolled to a 10-2 win against the visiting Kansas City Royals in the rubber game of their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.,Rhys Hoskins had three doubles, an RBI and run scored, and Jose Ramirez and Juan Brito ...

Spurs without Victor Wembanyama with Trail Blazers in town
The San Antonio Spurs will be without star center Victor Wembanyama as they look to keep alive their slim shot at home-court advantage throughout the playoffs when they host the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday in a game with postseason implications on both sides.,The Spurs (60-19) are guaranteed...

Spurs' Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle out vs. Blazers
Spurs stars Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle were ruled out for Wednesday's home game against the Portland Trail Blazers.,Both had been listed as doubtful. Wembanyama has a left rib contusion from a collision with Philadelphia 76ers forward Paul George that caused him to miss the second half of ...

Bucks coach Doc Rivers hints at potential retirement
Asked before Tuesday's game against Brooklyn about how much longer he plans to stay in coaching, Milwaukee Bucks coach Doc Rivers gave a seemingly pointed answer to his near future.,"I won't answer that, but I have grandkids that I want to see," Rivers. "I'll put it that way. And so, I'll let you fi...

Virginia moves quickly to hire Aaron Roussell as coach
Virginia introduced former Richmond coach Aaron Roussell as the Cavaliers' new women's basketball coach on Wednesday.,Virginia parted ways with former coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton on Saturday despite leading the team to its first Sweet 16 in 26 years and first national ranking since 2011.,Roussell sp...

Alex Ovechkin: Decision on future will come in offseason
Washington Capitals superstar captain Alex Ovechkin, the NHL's all-time leader in goals, said he will wait until the offseason to decide if he'll continue his playing career.,Ovechkin, 40, is playing in his 21st NHL season. The 2018 Stanley Cup champion and three-time Hart Trophy recipient is playin...

Ascending Sharks take aim at Connor McDavid, Oilers
The San Jose Sharks will look to keep pace in the Western Conference wild-card race when they conclude a six-game homestand against the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night.,William Eklund collected a goal and an assist in San Jose's 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday. Kiefer Sherwood and W...

Suns, bound for play-in tournament, take on Cooper Flagg, Mavs
The Phoenix Suns spent the first 79 games of the NBA season in a vain attempt to lock up a top-six seed in the Western Conference playoffs.,Their task now is to hang on to postseason spot No. 7.,The Suns (43-36) blew a 21-point lead and were crushed 55-34 on the boards in a 119-105 home loss to Hous...

Thunder eager to clinch top spot in West in visit to Clippers
The defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder can clinch the top playoff seed in the Western Conference for the third consecutive season when they face the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday at Inglewood, Calif.,The Thunder (63-16) are red-hot heading toward the playoffs with an 18-1 record in their l...

Pistons intent on sharpening skills in home finale vs. Bucks
The top seed and home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs already is locked up. ,The Detroit Pistons now can gear up for what they hope is an extended postseason run while trying to avoid a major injury.,They'll host the Milwaukee Bucks in their final regular-season home game ...

Strong-starting Yanks proving cynics wrong, go for win No. 9 vs. A's
The New York Yankees are only 10 games into a season with most of the same roster that was underwhelming in the American League Division Series last fall against the Toronto Blue Jays.,So far, the results have been strong for the Yankees, who will attempt to earn a ninth win in their first 11 games ...

Wolves clinch playoffs; Magic try to make play-in spot disappear
The Minnesota Timberwolves clinched their spot in the Western Conference playoffs with their win and a loss by the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.,The postseason picture isn't nearly as clear for the Orlando Magic, who will host the Timberwolves on Wednesday.,Minnesota (47-32) holds the sixth position in t...

Pitching-strapped Cubs turn to Colin Rea to start against Rays
The Chicago Cubs are dealing with pitching injuries they've been handed this week, losing starters Matthew Boyd and Cade Horton.,Boyd is dealing with a left biceps strain that led to the team placing him on the 15-day injured list on Monday. Cubs manager Craig Counsell said he expects the left-hande...

With Diamondbacks in town, Mets winning without Juan Soto
It's been three games without Juan Soto for the New York Mets -- and three wins fueled by unlikely players.,The Mets will look to lock up another series win Wednesday afternoon when they host the Arizona Diamondbacks in the middle game of a three-game set.,Left-hander David Peterson (0-1, 4.66 ERA) ...

Reds relying on strong pitching ahead of rematch vs. Marlins
Cincinnati has a majors-worst 34 runs this season. Of that total, five have come in extra innings.,Despite the team-wide hitting slump, the Reds are 8-3 because their pitching ranks fifth in the majors with a 2.82 ERA. The Reds' staff should get even better once two injured starters return: Hunter G...