With the business end of the 2. Bundesliga season fast approaching, both sides head into this Lower Saxony derby with plenty on the line - albeit at opposite ends of the table. Christian Titz’s Hannover continue their push for promotion, while Lars Kornetka’s Braunschweig are battling to steer clear of danger, setting the stage for a fiercely contested encounter.

Hannover have remained firmly in the promotion picture, losing just twice in their nine league outings in 2026. That consistency has seen them climb to 5th place on 46 points, now sitting just two points adrift of the top three.

They showed admirable resilience last time out in a dramatic 2-2 draw away to league leaders Schalke. Trailing at the break following goals from Edin Džeko and Kenan Karaman, the game turned following Džeko’s red card. Hannover capitalised on the numerical advantage, with Maik Nawrocki pulling one back before Benedikt Pichler salvaged a point deep into stoppage time with a 98th-minute header.

Despite their strong overall form, Hannover’s home record has been somewhat inconsistent. They rank 9th in the division on home soil, collecting 20 points from 12 matches, and will be eager to respond after a surprise 2-1 defeat to struggling Greuther Fürth in their last outing at the Heinz-von-Heiden-Arena.

NewsHow 'dropout's hangout' became snooker's ultimate stageSheffield's Crucible Theatre was a regional arts centre with a polarising reputation before snooker came along, by chance, to make it a globally famous venue. What makes it so s...Open →

Braunschweig, meanwhile, enter a new chapter at a critical stage of the campaign. The club opted to part ways with Heiner Backhaus amid growing relegation concerns, with Lars Kornetka tasked with guiding them to safety. They currently sit 13th on 29 points, holding a slender three-point cushion over the relegation play-off spot.

Kornetka made an immediate impact in his first game in charge, overseeing a crucial victory over Fortuna Düsseldorf. Braunschweig looked far more threatening in attack, creating a number of clear chances and arguably deserving a more comfortable margin of victory. Robin Heußer’s strike just after the hour proved decisive, ending a five-game winless run.

However, their away form remains a major concern. Braunschweig have picked up just 11 points from 12 matches on the road and are still searching for their first away win of 2026. Improving that record will be essential if they are to pull further clear of the drop zone.

Team news

Hannover 96: Boris Tomiak is expected to miss out. 

Eintracht Braunschweig: Patrick Nkoa remains suspended, while Lukas Frenkert, Lino Tempelmann and Anas Bakhat are all unavailable.

H-2-H record

Hannover claimed a convincing 3-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in October, with Benjamin Källman netting twice before Daisuke Yokota added a third. Braunschweig have not won away at Hannover since 1993 and have managed just one victory across the last five meetings between the sides.

Predicted lineups

Hannover 96 (3-4-3): Noll (GK) - Allgeier, Ghiță, Nawrocki - Neubauer, Leopold, Aseko Nkili, Oudenne - Chakroun, Pichler, Yokota 

Eintracht Braunschweig (4-2-3-1): Hoffmann (GK) - Aydin, Ehlers, Hoti, Di Michele Sanchez - Marie, Flick - Ranos, Heußer, Gomez - Mijatović

NEW ORLEANS - The Los Angeles Clippers just keep finding new ways to lose, and Thursday night was no different as they fell to the New Orleans Pelicans, 105-99, at the Smoothie King Center.

It was the second straight loss to the Pelicans in as many nights and the fourth consecutive defeat for the Clippers, who are now 34-36 on the season and sliding at the worst possible time.

Short-Handed and Out of Rhythm

The Clippers were without three of their most important offensive players on Thursday, as Kawhi Leonard (ankle sprain), Darius Garland (toe) and Bennedict Mathurin (toe) were all ruled out.

Leonard had tried to play through his ankle injury on Wednesday night, but he was visibly limping throughout the game and was far from his usual self, and the team decided to shut him down for the second leg of the back-to-back.

Without those three, head coach Tyronn Lue had to piece together a lineup that simply could not generate enough offense to keep up with the Pelicans.

The Clippers shot just 46.1 percent from the field and an ugly 31.3 percent from three, while also going just 19-for-32 from the free throw line.

That last number is the one that stings the most, because those 13 missed free throws were the difference in a six-point game.

Murphy and Bey Do the Damage

New Orleans was led by Trey Murphy III, who poured in 27 points on 9-of-17 shooting while adding five rebounds and two assists.

Murphy, who is averaging 22.1 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.8 assists this season, has been one of the more underrated scorers in the league and he showed exactly why on Thursday night by hitting five threes and attacking the basket with ease.

Saddiq Bey was nearly as good, chipping in 20 points, six rebounds and six assists while connecting on three of his four three-point attempts.

Collins Leads a Losing Effort

On the Clippers' side, John Collins did everything he could to keep the game close with 18 points and eight rebounds on 7-of-14 shooting, but it was not enough.

Collins, who is averaging 13.7 points and 5.2 rebounds on the season, was one of the few bright spots in an otherwise flat performance.

Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 points off the bench, and Isaiah Jackson had 13, but the Clippers never led by more than five in a game that felt like they were playing from behind for most of the night.

Standings Getting Tight

The loss drops the Clippers into a tie in the loss column with both the Golden State Warriors (33-36) and the Portland Trail Blazers (34-36), making every game from here on out feel like a playoff game.

With just 12 games left in the regular season and no clear timeline on when Mathurin, Kawhi, and Garland will all be healthy at the same time, the Clippers are in a tough spot that could get even tougher.

The next stop is Dallas on Saturday, and the Clippers better figure something out quickly because the Western Conference is not waiting around for anyone.

The jury delivered its verdict after a lengthy trial, finding both defendants guilty of multiple counts of assault with a deadly weapon and unlawful possession of firearms.

The shootings, which occurred between March and May 2023, left several victims injured and sparked a community outcry. The court has imposed sentences that reflect the severity of the crimes.

Here's everything you need to know about 12 Hours of Racing, including the start time, streaming details and more.