w Page 129 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Scuffling Mariners hitters hope to turn tide vs. banged-up Astros
The Seattle Mariners hoped a trip to Southern California and Texas might heat up their bats.,It didn't happen.,The Mariners, considered the favorites in the American League West by most preseason prognosticators, return home Friday for a four-game series with the Houston Astros in the division cella...

$1 million athlete: Jackie Young, Aces reportedly agree to historic deal
All-Star guard Jackie Young and the Las Vegas Aces are close to agreeing on a one-year deal, according to a Thursday report from ESPN. The deal is expected to be worth $1.19 million, the maximum amount for players not eligible for the WNBA's max contract of $1.4 million.,That number would make Young...

Final Four MOP Elliot Cadeau plans to stay at Michigan
Point guard Elliot Cadeau, selected the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player after leading Michigan to the national championship, will return to the Wolverines next season.,Cadeau broke the news to ESPN, and the Detroit Free Press confirmed it. The junior and the school came to an agreement, accordi...

Clippers, Trail Blazers duke it out for No. 8 seed
Jockeying for positioning in the Western Conference play-in round hits the home stretch on Friday when the Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Los Angeles Clippers for a crucial showdown.,Los Angeles (41-39) heads into its final two games of the regular season with a one-game lead over Portland (40-4...

Reports: FC Cincinnati pursuing Brazil star Neymar
FC Cincinnati, off to a slow start to the season, are in talks with Brazil star Neymar about a possible move to the MLS club, The Athletic and ESPN reported on Thursday.,The discussions are preliminary at this point, with the team just checking on Neymar's possible interest and availability, accordi...

Senators tighten grip on playoff spot with win over Panthers
Fabian Zetterlund scored twice, Jake Sanderson had two assists and Linus Ullmark made 18 saves as the Ottawa Senators inched closer to a playoff berth with a 5-1 victory over the visiting Florida Panthers on Thursday.,Drake Batherson, Artem Zub and Claude Giroux also scored for Ottawa (42-27-10, 94 ...

Penguins use flurry to down Devils, return to playoffs
Tommy Novak and Egor Chinakhov scored nine seconds apart for the Pittsburgh Penguins, who clinched a playoff spot Thursday with a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils in Newark, N.J.,Bryan Rust, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson also scored for the Penguins (41-22-16, 98 points). Chinakhov and Sidne...

Islanders bombard Maple Leafs to secure crucial win
The New York Islanders secured a sorely needed two points with a 5-3 win over the visiting Toronto Maple Leafs in their first game with Peter DeBoer as head coach.,Matthew Schaefer put the Islanders (43-31-5, 91 points) back in the lead after Toronto came back from 2-0 to tie it in the second period...

WNBA approves expansion into Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia
The WNBA announced formal approval for expansion teams in Cleveland, Detroit and Philadelphia on Thursday.,The move certifies those three cities, previously announced, gained authorization to join the league on their own timelines.,Cleveland is set to begin play in 2028, with Detroit following in 20...

Grizzlies offer chance for slumping Jazz to play different tune
The Utah Jazz have shown flashes of potential and competitiveness during its current 10-game losing streak. But the lows have outnumbered the highs heading into a showdown with the Memphis Grizzlies in Salt Lake City on Friday night.,Utah hit one of those lows in a 156-137 loss to New Orleans on Tue...

Nuggets take aim at No. 3 seed in the West against Thunder
Oklahoma City wrapped up the No. 1 overall seed with a win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night, making the final two games inconsequential for the reigning NBA champions.,The Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, have something to play for when they host the Thunder on Friday night.,Denver...

Forward-thinking Red Sox take momentum into series vs. Cardinals
Finally, the Boston Red Sox have a turn in the right direction.,Back-to-back victories over the Milwaukee Brewers have the Red Sox feeling good as they turn their attention to another National League Central opponent, with the opener of a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday n...

Maniacal Masters? Players bracing for Augusta National at its crustiest
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- With no rain in the forecast and sunny, warm conditions forecast through the weekend, the players in the 2026 Masters said they are at the mercy of the tournament officials setting up Augusta National for the final 54 holes.,"I think this could be the toughest Masters we've played in...

Spurs look to continue torrid stretch against feisty Mavericks
The San Antonio Spurs look to keep their momentum growing in preparation for the upcoming playoffs when they host the Dallas Mavericks on Friday in the penultimate game of the regular season for the Lone Star State rivals.,The Spurs (61-19) have won 13 of their past 14 games and have gone 29-3 since...

Daniel Hauser, Wisconsin edge North Dakota to reach Frozen Four final
Wisconsin scored twice in a 27-second span in the first period, and Daniel Hauser made 21 saves en route to a 2-1 win over North Dakota in Thursday's first Frozen Four semifinal in Las Vegas.,Simon Tassy and Ryan Botterill netted the quick-fire goals for the Badgers (24-12-2), who shrugged off North...

Brewers finally get shot against NL team, and it's the struggling Nationals
The Milwaukee Brewers will look to bounce back from a pair of road losses behind right-hander Chad Patrick when they return home to face the Washington Nationals on Friday in the opener of a three-game series.,Patrick (1-0, 0.96 ERA) will be opposed by right-hander Jake Irvin (1-1, 8.00) as the Brew...

Streaking Orioles plan to test Giants' scoreless inning streak
Right-hander Landen Roupp will try to build on a 20-inning scoreless streak for San Francisco's pitching staff as the Giants open a nine-game road trip at Baltimore on Friday night.,San Francisco, which won just three times in its first 11 games under first-year manager Tony Vitello, bounced back to...

Hawks face pivotal clash in rematch with Cavaliers
Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley made quite a statement in the first part of the Cleveland Cavaliers' home-and-home set with the Atlanta Hawks, combining for 53 points and 26 rebounds Wednesday in a 122-116 victory.,It's now the Hawks' turn to host. And there is significantly more pressure on them a...

After first rest day of season, Braves set to host hard-hitting Guardians
Atlanta Braves manager Walt Weiss was happy his team finally got a day off on Thursday.,The Braves opened their season with 13 straight games and kick off a three-game homestand against the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Friday.,"I've never seen anything like 13 games in a row to start the season,"...

Rory McIlroy taps into Masters champion confidence to spark rally
AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Rory McIlroy admitted he hasn't felt the same at "certain" golf tournaments since completing the career grand slam 12 months ago, but all the same old feelings came rushing back on the first tee at Augusta National on Thursday.,And that's a good thing, in his estimation.,"It's the Ma...