Charlotte Hornets (10-40, 13th in the Eastern Conference) vs. Milwaukee Bucks (33-19, third in the Eastern Conference) Milwaukee; Friday, 8 p.m. EST FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK NBA LINE: Bucks -14.5; over/under is 232.5 BOTTOM LINE: Charlotte plays the Milwaukee Bucks after Miles Bridges scored 45 points in the Hornets’ 123-117 loss to the Toronto Raptors. The Bucks are 24-12 against conference opponents. …

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (AP) — When two early road losses threatened to derail No. 2 Purdue’s Big Ten championship journey, the Boilermakers charted a different course. They dug …

NEW YORK (AP) — Jimmy Vesey scored twice and Jonathan Quick made 19 saves as the New York Rangers beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1 on Wednesday night for their third straight win. Jonny Brodzinski also scored for the Rangers, who won for the second time in three days after the All-Star break. Quick has started both games. Brandon Hagel …

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) — Legislation in West Virginia to narrow the definitions of gender would give women no further rights and is a way for Republicans to suppress transgender people, speakers at a public hearing said Thursday. Dozens of speakers condemned the “Women’s Bill of Rights” while a handful spoke in favor of it during the 45-minute hearing in the …

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. Southern Utah Thunderbirds (9-13, 4-7 WAC) at Utah Tech Trailblazers (8-14, 4-7 WAC) Saint George, Utah; Thursday, 9 p.m. EST FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Thunderbirds -2; over/under is 152 …

The AP Top 25 men’s college basketball poll is back every week throughout the season! Get the poll delivered straight to your inbox with AP Top 25 Poll Alerts. Sign up here. Omaha Mavericks (12-12, 5-4 Summit League) at North Dakota Fightin’ Hawks (14-10, 6-3 Summit League) Grand Forks, North Dakota; Thursday, 8 p.m. EST FANDUEL SPORTSBOOK LINE: Fightin’ Hawks …

DETROIT (AP) — Henry Fambrough, the last surviving original member of the iconic R&B group The Spinners, whose hits included “It’s a Shame,” “Could It Be I’m Falling in Love” and “The Rubberband Man,” died Wednesday, a spokesperson for the group said. He was 85. Fambrough died peacefully of natural causes in his northern Virginia home, spokesperson Tanisha Jackson said …

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Vladimir Guerrero Jr. won a record $19.9 million in salary arbitration on Wednesday when a three-person panel picked his request rather than the Toronto Blue Jays’ $18.05 million offer. Scott Buchheit, Walt De Treux and Jeanne Charles made the decision a day after listening to arguments. Players have a 6-2 lead in hearings this year with …

HARDCOVER FICTION 1. “House of Flame and Shadow” by Sarah J. Maas (Bloomsbury) 2. “Iron Flame” by Rebecca Yarros (Red Tower) 3. “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros (Red Tower) 4. “The Heavan & Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride (Riverhead) 5. “Gothikana” by Runyx (Bramble) 6. “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston (Viking/Dorman) 7. “The Fury” by Alex Michaelides (Celadon) …

LAS VEGAS (AP) — New England Patriots long snapper Joe Cardona is the USAA 2023 Salute to Service award winner. Cardona, a lieutenant from the Naval Academy, beat out Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones and San Francisco 49ers tight end George Kittle for the honor. The award recognizes the “exceptional efforts by members of the NFL family to …