v Page 5 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

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...

Thunder host Pacers for first time since NBA Finals Game 7
The last time the Oklahoma City Thunder hosted the Indiana Pacers, the Thunder left the court with the city's first NBA championship after their Game 7 win., ,Now, just a day over seven months since Oklahoma City's 103-91 win, the teams meet again Friday on opposite ends of the league's spectrum., ,...

Celtics own customary Atlantic Division lead as they visit Nets
During their first month without Jayson Tatum and his injured Achilles tendon, the Boston Celtics hovered around the .500 mark.,Since those opening weeks of life without their perennial first-team All-NBA star, the Celtics have ascended to the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference. Their next stop...

Lowly Kings arrive while Cavaliers plan to continue to thrive
Eight wins in their last 12 games have given the Cleveland Cavaliers a much-needed boost into fifth place in the Eastern Conference standings.,The Cavaliers seek to continue that momentum Friday when the Sacramento Kings make their annual pilgrimage to northeast Ohio.,Point guard Donovan Mitchell sc...

Rising Butler aims for third straight win when Marquette visits
Butler hopes to extend its winning ways when it hosts Marquette on Friday night in Indianapolis.,The Bulldogs (12-7, 3-5 Big East) have won two in a row after their 1-5 start in conference play, including a signature win on the road at then-No. 25 Seton Hall followed by an 87-80 win at home over DeP...

Ravens hire Chargers DC Jesse Minter as head coach
Jesse Minter, who has a coaching history with the Baltimore Ravens and the Harbaugh family, is the Ravens' new head coach, the team announced on Thursday.,Minter, the Los Angeles Chargers' defensive coordinator under head coach Jim Harbaugh the past two seasons, replaces John Harbaugh, who was fired...

Report: Red Bulls close to deal for G Ethan Horvath
The New York Red Bulls are nearing an agreement to land U.S. goalkeeper Ethan Horvath from Cardiff City in Wales, according to a report from The Athletic.,The club has been searching for stability at goalkeeper after the previous starter, Carlos Coronel, left as a free agent to join Brazilian Serie ...

Suns, with Jalen Green back, chase 4th straight win vs. Hawks
The Phoenix Suns, who got a key player back in the lineup this week, will try to finish their six-game East Coast road trip with a bang when they go for their fourth straight win in Atlanta on Friday.,The Suns have won three in a row after beating the Philadelphia 76ers 116-110 on Tuesday, when Jale...

Indiana takes 4-game skid into meeting with Rutgers
Indiana football is basking in the afterglow of an undefeated national championship season. The Hoosiers would like for some of that winning to rub off on the basketball team.,Indiana has lost four straight games and needs to right the ship when it heads east to face Rutgers on Friday in Piscataway,...

Senators' David Perron (sports hernia surgery) out 5-7 weeks
Ottawa Senators forward David Perron is expected to undergo sports hernia surgery and be sidelined five to seven weeks, head coach Travis Green announced.,Green noted that Perron has been dealing with the injury for some time.,Perron, 37, has recorded 25 points (10 goals, 15 assists) in 49 games thi...

Bucs hire Zac Robinson as offensive coordinator
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired Zac Robinson to be their new offensive coordinator on Thursday.,Robinson, 39, held the same position with the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons for the past two seasons.,Robinson is replacing Josh Grizzard, fired earlier this month after his first season on head coach To...

NBC, ESPN set network records for divisional-round games
NBC and ESPN/ABC followed CBS' lead by drawing record numbers for their respective NFL divisional-round games.,On Thursday, NBC announced that it averaged 45.4 million viewers for the Los Angeles Rams' 20-17 overtime victory over the Chicago Bears.,That number from Sunday's game represented an 8% in...

Inter Miami lock up Cup-winning GK Rocco Rios Novo
Inter Miami locked up MLS Cup-winning goalkeeper Rocco Rios Novo with a long-term contract on Thursday.,On loan from Argentina's Lanus, he took over the No. 1 job down the stretch last season and was in net for the 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Whitecaps in the championship match. ,He recorded five...

Reports: Buccaneers hiring Zac Robinson as OC
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hiring Zac Robinson to be their new offensive coordinator, multiple outlets reported Thursday.,Robinson, 39, held the same position with the NFC South rival Atlanta Falcons for the past two seasons.,Robinson is replacing Josh Grizzard, fired earlier this month after his ...

Stars-Jackets matchup may come down to special teams
Coming off a lopsided win, the Dallas Stars are looking to finally build some momentum when they visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday.,The Stars are 3-6-4 in their last 13 games, and had been outscored 9-3 during an 0-3-0 losing streak heading into Tuesday's matchup with the Boston Bruins. Wi...
Jarrett Stidham, the AFC Championship Game, and the Most Unlikely Spotlight
Jarrett Stidham steps into the AFC Championship spotlight as Sean Payton bets big on a career backup with history on his side....

Ex-champ Stan Wawrinka makes history at Australian Open
Stan Wawrinka is making his final Australian Open a historic one.,The 40-year-old from Switzerland, who won his first Grand Slam title in Melbourne in 2014 and plans to retire after this season, became the oldest man to reach the third round of the tournament since 1978 with his 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, ...

No. 3 Michigan eager to show improvement vs. Ohio State
No. 3 Michigan will look to extend its winning streak to four games on Friday night when it faces Ohio State in a Big Ten game in Ann Arbor, Mich.,Playing for the third time in seven days -- including twice on the West Coast -- the Wolverines (17-1, 7-1) showed some weariness in their most recent ga...

No. 24 Saint Louis looks to match program record vs. St. Bonaventure
No. 24 Saint Louis will chase program history when it heads to St. Bonaventure for an Atlantic 10 Conference showdown on Friday.,Riding a 12-game winning streak, the Billikens (18-1, 6-0) are just one victory shy of matching the 1993-94 team for the best 20-game start in the program's 110-year histo...

Wild's Vladimir Tarasenko rides surge into game vs. Wings
Minnesota's Vladimir Tarasenko knows how to find the back of the net.,Tarasenko also knows the playing style of Thursday night's opponent, the Detroit Red Wings.,He will try to lead the Wild past the Wings when the teams face off in Saint Paul, Minn.,In his first season with the Wild, Tarasenko has ...