w Page 98 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights

Commanders extend contract of S Jeremy Reaves
The Washington Commanders extended the contract of safety Jeremy Reaves, the team announced on Thursday without disclosing terms of the deal.,Reaves, a former first-team All-Pro known more for his special teams prowess, started a career-high eight of 17 games played last season, setting career marks...

Nuggets hoping to 'peak at right time' with Raptors up next
The Denver Nuggets suffered a tough loss at Memphis on Wednesday night, but they don't have time to dwell on it with the Toronto Raptors in town on Friday.,Denver (42-28) fell to the lottery-bound Grizzlies in a makeup game that was postponed on Jan. 25. The loss dropped the Nuggets to sixth in the ...

Ayo Dosunmu bringing 'genuine energy' as Wolves take on Blazers
Nobody can fill Anthony Edwards' shoes, but Ayo Dosunmu is doing his best to help.,Dosunmu will look to stay hot as Edwards' injury replacement in the starting lineup when the Minnesota Timberwolves tip off against the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night in Minneapolis.,The Timberwolves are 2-0 s...

Venezuela's WBC title win over U.S. draws record ratings
Venezuela's win over the United States didn't just deliver the World Baseball Classic's first new champion in a decade, it also delivered the biggest audience the tournament has ever seen. ,Tuesday's title game from Miami averaged 10.78 million viewers across FOX, Fox Deportes, and streaming, settin...

Nets' Michael Porter Jr. (hamstring) could be done for season
Michael Porter Jr.'s first season with the Brooklyn Nets might be over after the team announced Thursday that its leading scorer was diagnosed with a left hamstring strain.,Porter, 27, is averaging a career-high 24.2 points per game along with 7.1 rebounds while shooting 36.3% from 3-point range in ...

Streaking Hawks putting pieces together while Rockets deal with leaky defense
The Atlanta Hawks had, for a large chunk of this season, endured so many nagging injuries and roster permutations that it was quite difficult to envision the result of a static and settled rotation.,Seemingly that moment has arrived, and to suggest that the Hawks are enjoying the best-case scenario ...

Maple Leafs star Auston Matthews (MCL) undergoes surgery
Toronto Maple Leafs star captain Auston Matthews underwent surgery to repair the torn medial collateral ligament in his left knee, the team said Thursday.,The surgery took place in New York. Matthews will need about 12 weeks to recover, according to the team.,Matthews, 28, was injured during the sec...

Grizzlies try to build off skid-snapper vs. Celtics as young pieces shine
Amid a tough and frustrating season for the Memphis Grizzlies, there have still been moments worth celebrating.,While the team's key members, including Ja Morant, Zach Edey, Santi Aldama and Scotty Pippen Jr., have missed most of the season due to injuries, their absences have given others a chance ...

Dunk party fuels No. 4 Arkansas' one-sided win over Hawaii
PORTLAND, Ore. -- Darius Acuff Jr. had 24 points and seven assists, Meleek Thomas had 21 points and fourth-seeded Arkansas blew out 13th-seeded Hawaii 97-78 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament West Region on Thursday.,Trevon Brazile scored 19 points and Malique Ewin added 16 points, 12 rebound...

Knicks strive to extend dominant stretch against Nets
The margins of victory are varied, but in recent years the result is the same when the New York Knicks face the Brooklyn Nets.,Attempting to inch toward second place in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks seek a 14th straight win in the series Friday night when they visit the Nets.,The Knicks are unb...

Orioles OF Tyler O’Neill aims to extend Opening Day HR mark
Each of the past six straight seasons, Tyler O'Neill has homered on Opening Day in a one-of-a-kind streak in the history of the sport.,The Orioles outfielder, who has been dubbed "Mr. Opening Day," admits tacking on another homer will be on his mind when Baltimore hosts the Minnesota Twins on March ...

Capitals eager to continue strong homestand vs. Devils
The Washington Capitals have enjoyed the comforts of home lately and aim to keep doing so when they host the New Jersey Devils on Friday.,The Capitals (34-27-8, 76 points) are 7-1-1 in their past nine games as the hosts after a 4-1 win against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. They've won 21 of the ...

Hurricanes seek to grow East lead against Maple Leafs
The Carolina Hurricanes aim to take another step forward in the race for first place in the Eastern Conference on Friday night when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs.,The Hurricanes (43-19-6, 92 points) led the conference by two points after their 6-5 home overtime win over the Pittsburgh Penguins ...

FIFA rules all women's teams must have female coaches
FIFA decreed Thursday that all women's teams competing in world tournaments must have a woman head or assistant coach on the bench.,The rule, newly approved by the FIFA Council, applies to national and club competitions at the senior and youth levels, including the 2027 Women's World Cup in Brazil a...

Rays place SS Taylor Walls (oblique) on IL; Carson Williams on deck
Tampa Bay Rays shortstop Taylor Walls will start the season on the injured list due to a right oblique injury.,Walls, 29, sustained the injury in the batting cage on Tuesday and underwent imaging on Wednesday. President of baseball operations Erik Neander said Thursday there isn't yet a timetable fo...

MLB signs multi-year prediction market deal with Polymarket
Major League Baseball is entering the prediction-market arena, announcing a multi-year partnership that designates Polymarket as the league's official prediction market exchange and includes a new integrity-focused agreement with federal regulators.,Financial terms were not released, but Polymarket ...

Penn State hires alum Tanisha Wright as coach
Penn State hired former Lady Lions star and current Chicago Sky assistant coach Tanisha Wright to be its next women's basketball coach on Thursday.,Wright, 42, starred at the school from 2001-05, winning three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards and earning three all-conference first-team se...

MLS announces format for 14-match 'Sprint Season' in 2027
Major League Soccer on Thursday announced the format for the 2027 "sprint season" that will bridge the transition to a summer-to-spring schedule beginning later that year.,Teams will exclusively play against conference opponents, facing seven at home and the other seven away, during the 14-match reg...

Iran will boycott America, 'but not the World Cup'
The president of Iran's soccer federation said his country would "boycott the United States, but not the World Cup" as it attempts to move its group stage matches south of the border to Mexico.,Mehdi Taj drew the distinction while speaking to Iran's Fars news agency on Wednesday in response to Presi...

Reports: Penn State hiring Tanisha Wright as coach
Penn State is hiring former Lady Lions star and current Chicago Sky assistant coach Tanisha Wright to be its next head coach, multiple outlets reported Thursday.,Wright, 42, starred at the school from 2001-05, winning three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year awards and earning three all-conference...