w Page 45 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

'It never gets old': Braves' Chris Sale eager for Opening Day start vs. Royals
The Atlanta Braves will start the new season with a new manager, but with a familiar face atop the rotation when they open on Friday night at home against the Kansas City Royals.,Walt Weiss takes the managerial reins from Brian Snitker, who retired in October after 10 seasons in the role. Snitker, 7...

Blue Jays, downplaying 'defending' status, open against A's
The Toronto Blue Jays might have been a surprise last season when they came close to winning the World Series.,Another successful season, however, would be no surprise. This year they will carry the burden of high expectations into their 50th anniversary season, which will open Friday night against ...

Pistons host Pelicans, looking to bounce back from rare loss
The Detroit Pistons had their four-game winning streak snapped by the red-hot Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. They'll look to start a new one when they host the lowly New Orleans Pelicans on Thursday.,Detroit dropped a 130-129 overtime thriller at home to the Hawks. Tobias Harris and Jalen Duren both mi...

Mexican League exec Mauricio Culebro named president of Atlanta United
Atlanta United FC owner Arthur Blank has named longtime Mexican Football Federation executive Mauricio Culebro to be president of the United of MLS as well as Blank's NWSL franchise which debuts in 2028.,"This is an exciting day as we welcome Mauricio to Atlanta and our family of businesses," Blank ...

Doc Rivers defends Bucks' handling of Giannis Antetokounmpo's injury
A day after the National Basketball Players Association criticized the Milwaukee Bucks for their handling of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and his injury status, coach Doc Rivers on Wednesday defended his organization and the decision to not play his star.,"He's progressing," Rivers told reporters...

Rockets rally to force OT, but Wolves win with 15-0 run
Jaden McDaniels scored 25 points on 10-for-17 shooting and the Minnesota Timberwolves stormed back for a 110-108 overtime win over the Houston Rockets on Wednesday night in Minneapolis.,Julius Randle added 24 points for Minnesota (45-28), which won for the fourth time in its past five games. Rudy Go...

Houston homecoming for Brooks Koepka at course with his imprint
Brooks Koepka already has a number of accolades to his credit, but signature golf course designer would be a new one.,Yet that nomenclature isn't far off, because when Koepka returns to former home Houston this week for the Texas Children's Houston Open, he'll be teeing off on a course he helped red...

Knights out to snap slide in key clash with rival Oilers
Second place in the Pacific Division will be on the line Thursday night when the Edmonton Oilers visit Las Vegas to take on the Vegas Golden Knights.,Edmonton (35-28-9, 79 points), which trails first-place Anaheim by five points, enters the contest with a one-point lead over Vegas (32-26-14, 78 poin...

Hungry for points, Kings face spoilers in Canucks
Pacific Division rivals meet in what could be a playoff-deciding matchup for the Los Angeles Kings when they visit the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.,The game is the second of four between these teams this season, with the final three matchups in the final month of the regular season. Los Ange...

Julian Reese, Wizards best Jazz, end 16-game skid
Julian Reese scored 26 points and collected 17 rebounds to help the Washington Wizards snap a 16-game losing streak with a 133-110 victory over the host Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. ,Will Riley added 19 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the Wizards, who avoided a franchise-record 17-game ski...

Freshmen take center stage when Illinois meets Houston in Sweet 16
HOUSTON -- Both Illinois and Houston have been forged by tradition and buoyed by veterans. Yet the Illini and Cougars owe a noteworthy measure of their success this season to freshmen.,Guards Keaton Wagler of Illinois and Kingston Flemings of Houston will serve as the showcase young stars for the th...

Arizona's Tommy Lloyd: 'Already have one of the best jobs in the country'
While his name is being thrown out as a candidate for the open North Carolina job, Arizona coach Tommy Lloyd said Wednesday his focus is on his current squad.,Lloyd also pointed out that he already has a gig that's pretty solid during remarks one day prior to the top-seeded Wildcats' Sweet 16 game a...

Mammoth out to bolster playoff position, dent Caps' chances
The Utah Mammoth look to solidify their hold on a playoff spot when they host the Washington Capitals on Thursday night.,Utah (37-29-6, 80 points) leads the surging Nashville Predators by three points for the first wild-card spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference.,Washington (3...

Jets bring hot stretch into clash vs. league-leading Avalanche
When the Colorado Avalanche visited Winnipeg on March 14th, they were in the midst of four losses in five games that trimmed their Central Division lead to two points.,Nearly two weeks later, Colorado (47-13-10, 104 points) is surging and has built a cushion in the division with 12 games remaining e...

Jalen Johnson, Hawks outlast Pistons to extend hot streak
Jalen Johnson had 27 points, 12 assists and eight rebounds as the streaking Atlanta Hawks edged the host Detroit Pistons in overtime, 130-129, on Wednesday.,CJ McCollum also had 27 points, while Nickeil Alexander-Walker tossed in 21. Dyson Daniels added 16 points and 13 rebounds for Atlanta (41-32),...

Division title nearly in reach as Ducks travel to Flames
The Anaheim Ducks will not just be looking to continue their push for a playoff spot for the first time in eight years when they continue their road trip by facing the Calgary Flames on Thursday.,The Ducks are eying up a division title.,And to make things even better for the Ducks (40-27-4, 84 point...

Sliding Sharks looking to shake off buzzing Blues
The San Jose Sharks ride into Thursday's road meeting with the St. Louis Blues mired in an untimely five-game losing skid.,After being firmly entrenched in the playoff conversation for most of the 2025-26 season, the Sharks (32-31-6, 70 points) have slowly witnessed their hopes for postseason hockey...

Focused Predators take on Devils squad finally finding their footing
The Nashville Predators are playing their best hockey when it matters most.,Meanwhile, the New Jersey Devils might be out of the playoff race but look to continue their recent surge by keeping the host Predators from extending a season-high winning streak to six games Thursday night.,Poised to retur...

Flyers' playoff push in need of a home win vs. Blackhawks
If the Philadelphia Flyers fail to make the playoffs, they can place much of the blame on their home-ice performance.,The Flyers hope to post a much-needed home victory Thursday when they take on the Chicago Blackhawks.,Philadelphia (34-24-12, 80 points) enters Wednesday's action five points behind ...

Senators keep surging through injuries with Penguins up next
Despite a slew of injuries to defensemen, the Ottawa Senators prepare to host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night on a four-game winning streak.,The Senators have also won six of their last seven. Those runs have propelled Ottawa (38-24-9, 85 points) into the second and final wild-card spot in...