v Page 4 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Villanova ams to gain on No. 2 UConn in key clash
While Villanova's improvement from recent seasons is putting them within striking distance of the Big East lead, while surviving a few close calls allowed No. 2 UConn to maintain its lead and 14-game winning streak.,The Wildcats hope to draw even more notice about its strong season Saturday afternoo...

Blues desperate to put goals on scoreboard against the Stars
The St. Louis Blues are searching for more offense. So are the Dallas Stars.,They will carry the same goal -- more goals, simply -- into their matchup Friday night in Dallas.,The Blues suffered losses at Edmonton and Winnipeg by the combined score of 8-1 before heading to Texas. They are averaging j...

Big East giants Villanova and No. 2 UConn clash
While Villanova's improvement from recent seasons is putting them within striking distance of the Big East lead, while surviving a few close calls allowed No. 2 UConn to maintain its lead and 14-game winning streak.,The Wildcats hope to draw even more notice about its strong season Saturday afternoo...

Vegas' Mitch Marner prepares for 'emotional night' in Toronto
Longtime Toronto Maple Leafs stalwart Mitch Marner is bracing for an emotional Friday night when he visits his former team for the first time as a member of the Vegas Golden Knights.,Marner got an indication of how things could go for him on Jan. 15 when the Golden Knights came back to earn a 6-5 ho...

Stingy Lightning intent on limiting scoring chances for Blackhawks
Stinginess has been the key for the Tampa Bay Lightning during much of their 14-game point streak.,Tampa Bay has yielded two goals or fewer through regulation and overtime in seven straight games entering their visit to the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday.,Now, the Lightning tote fresh legs, to boot, a...

Pistons could be without All-Star Cade Cunningham against Rockets
The Detroit Pistons won a road matchup without their best player on Wednesday. Now, they return home to face a much tougher opponent on Friday, the Houston Rockets.,All-Star starter Cade Cunningham sat out against New Orleans due to an illness and a left hip contusion, but the Eastern Conference lea...

Trail Blazers F Deni Avdija (back) expected to play Friday
Portland Trail Blazers standout forward Deni Avdija is expected to be available for Friday's game with the Toronto Raptors after leaving Thursday's 127-110 win over the visiting Miami Heat with back soreness.,"I think he'll be fine," Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter told reporters after the game, ...

Paddy Pimblett sizes up Justin Gaethje as UFC comes to Paramount
LAS VEGAS -- Dana White and the UFC begin a new era on Saturday night.,Rising star Paddy Pimblett and former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje will headline UFC 324 in what marks the company's first numbered card since the highly publicized seven-year, $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Para...

Trail Blazers F Deni Avdija (back) ruled out vs. Heat
Portland Trail Blazers standout forward Deni Avdija exited Thursday night's game against the visiting Miami Heat with back soreness early in the third quarter and didn't return.,Avdija had 20 points, seven rebounds and four assists in 18 minutes before his departure.,Avdija left the contest less tha...

Coby White, Bulls finish strong to extend Timberwolves' losing streak
Coby White scored a team-high 22 points and the Chicago Bulls finished with a 9-0 run to post a 120-115 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday in Minneapolis.,Josh Giddey added 21 points after missing the last 11 games with a left hamstring strain. Jalen Smith scored 17 points, and Mata...

Mavericks extend win streak to 4 in back-and-forth affair vs. Warriors
Naji Marshall posted 30 points and nine assists as the Dallas Mavericks extended their winning streak to four with a 123-115 victory over the visiting Golden State Warriors on Thursday.,Cooper Flagg paired 21 points with 11 rebounds, Max Christie added 21 -- including 5-of-12 shooting from deep -- a...

No. 18 Clemson seeks to rebound against shaky Georgia Tech
After seeing its nine-game winning streak snapped, No. 18 Clemson looks to rebound on Saturday against Georgia Tech in Atlantic Coast Conference play in Atlanta, GA.,Clemson (16-4, 6-1 ACC) fell for the first time in conference action on Tuesday, dropping its first home game of the season to North C...

No. 14 UVA to honor ex-coach Tony Bennett, battle No. 22 UNC
No. 14 Virginia is off to its best start since the 2018-19 season, which culminated with a national championship under former head coach Tony Bennett., ,The Cavaliers (16-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) will honor Bennett before Saturday's matinee against No. 22 North Carolina (15-4, 3-3), adding ...

Conference top dog No. 5 Duke prepares for sluggish Wake Forest
Duke has learned plenty from a recent road trip to the West Coast. The fifth-ranked Blue Devils come home looking to build off that knowledge against Wake Forest on Saturday in Durham, N.C.,The Blue Devils (17-1, 6-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) are the lone remaining team without a blemish on their A...

Sharks, Rangers finding mistakes costly in recent losses
The San Jose Sharks will look to play better in front of their goaltender when they return home to host the New York Rangers on Friday night.,San Jose split a pair of games in Florida, topping the Panthers 4-1 on Monday before dropping a 4-1 decision to the Lightning on Tuesday, to wrap up a four-ga...

Lengthy losing skid over, Canucks turn attention to improving Devils
After snapping an 11-game losing streak with a come-from-behind, 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals, the Vancouver Canucks will attempt to win back-to-back home games for the first time this season when they face the New Jersey Devils on Friday.,The victory over the Capitals was the team's fir...

Reshuffled Kraken lineup ready to host red-hot Ducks
Lane Lambert decided to shake things up.,So the Seattle Kraken coach, with his team having lost four consecutive games and six of its past seven, altered all four of the forward lines and two of three defensive pairings for Wednesday's home game against the New York Islanders.,The moves paid off as ...

New injury halts Ja Morant's momentum, Grizzlies prep for Pelicans
As soon as Ja Morant returned to the court, another injury set him back.,Morant will miss the Memphis Grizzlies' home game against the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday due to a UCL sprain in his left elbow.,The Grizzlies' two-time All-Star admitted he had a ways to go upon returning from his latest in...

Struggling Flyers face tall task visiting Avalanche
The Philadelphia Flyers were rolling at the beginning of January, but things have turned sour for them.,Since beating the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 6, the Flyers have gone 1-5-2. Now they face perhaps their toughest task of the season with Friday night's visit to the NHL-leading Colorado Avalanche.,The ...

Capitals visit Flames with season 'hanging in the balance'
The Washington Capitals head into Friday's road game against the Calgary Flames hopeful that their struggles finally have hit rock bottom.,Thanks to a dispiriting 4-3 loss to the last-place Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday, Washington has dropped four consecutive games in regulation for the first time...