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Steph Curry to return from 27-game absence when Warriors host Rockets

NBA: Portland Trail Blazers at Golden State WarriorsJan 13, 2026; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) makes a three-point shot against the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: David Gonzales-Imagn Images

The Houston Rockets’ quest to move up in the Western Conference standings is likely to encounter an undesirable hurdle Sunday night when Stephen Curry is expected to return to the Golden State Warriors’ lineup for the nationally televised contest in San Francisco.

The Rockets (48-29) enter the final eight days of the regular season in fifth place in the West, but with the possibility of passing the third-place Los Angeles Lakers and/or the fourth-place Denver Nuggets over the final five games.

Moving into fourth is critical in that it provides a home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

The Warriors (36-41) are likely to land 10th in the West, meaning they would have to win consecutive play-in games to earn the eighth and final playoff spot. The No. 8 team will open the playoffs against the top seed, which at this point would be Oklahoma City.

Having lost three in a row, Golden State would love to get that far. And even more importantly, the Warriors would love to fly to Oklahoma City with a relatively healthy roster, one that includes Curry, who has missed the last 27 games with a right knee injury.

The veteran has been cleared to return for the Warriors’ generally meaningless final five games, whose main purpose figures to be keeping Kristaps Porzingis healthy, getting Curry back up to speed and seeing Al Horford return from a strained right soleus that will cause him to miss a 12th straight game Sunday.

In the first of the five play-in ramp-ups, all eyes will be on Curry.

“He’ll be listed as questionable, but is expected to play,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr announced Saturday. “It’ll be nice to have him back.”

Curry played just one of the earlier two head-to-heads with the Rockets this season, scoring 14 points. The Warriors have been able to play Houston on relatively even terms, losing 104-100 at home in November before surprising the Rockets without Curry and Jimmy Butler III in a 115-113 overtime win in Houston last month.

The Rockets were in a 4-6 slump at the time, but have since won seven of nine, including the last five in a row.

A visit to San Francisco means a reunion for Rockets star Kevin Durant, who won two championships in three seasons with the Warriors from 2016-19.

The 37-year-old has returned to the San Francisco Bay Area five times since leaving, going 1-0 with the Brooklyn Nets and 2-2 with the Phoenix Suns.

He has never visited as a member of the Rockets. His only time facing Golden State in his first season with Houston came in the home loss in March, in which he had 23 points.

Durant has shot 52.6% and averaged 23.2 points during Houston’s winning streak, but assures he’s not the only Rocket who’s gotten hot.

“We started knocking more shots down,” he told reporters after Friday’s 140-106 win over Utah when asked about the key to the team’s recent success. “That’s really the only reason we’ve been inconsistent compared to people’s expectations. Once we start knocking them down, you see what type of team we are.”

–Field Level Media

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Rafael Navarro's late penalty kick lifts Rapids past Austin FC

Aug 1, 2026; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rapids forward Rafael Navarro (9) and Austin FC defender Brendan Hines-Ike (4) battle for the ball in the first half at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn ImagesAug 1, 2026; Commerce City, Colorado, USA; Colorado Rapids forward Rafael Navarro (9) and Austin FC defender Brendan Hines-Ike (4) battle for the ball in the first half at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Rafael Navarro converted a penalty kick in the fourth minute of second-half stoppage time to give the Colorado Rapids a 1-0 victory over Austin FC on Saturday night in Commerce City, Colo.

Darren Yapi fired a shot from outside the box that Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver punched away with a diving save. But as Navarro chased down the rebound just inside the penalty area, he was fouled by Przemyslaw Placheta, and a penalty kick was awarded.

Navarro tucked the ensuing penalty inside the lower left corner as Stuver dove to his right.

Rapids goalkeeper Nico Hansen saved a shot from Myrto Uzuni in the 98th minute to preserve his third clean sheet of the season.

Stuver recorded seven saves while Hansen registered three. Austin (4-9-5, 17 points) is still in search of its first MLS road win of the season (0-7-3).

Colorado (7-10-1, 22 points) started on the front foot, earning five corner kicks in the opening 15 minutes. The Rapids finished with an 11-0 advantage over the Verde in corners.

In the fifth minute, Paxten Aaronson’s in-swinging corner found Rapids teammate Loic Williams, whose header was blocked.

Moments later, Aaronson again delivered a dangerous ball into the box, and Wayne Frederick met it at the back post, heading it into the top of the netting.

Hansen went to his knees to smother Uzuni’s shot after it skipped through the wall on a free kick from just outside the penalty area in the 22nd minute.

Aaronson created another chance from a corner in the 44th minute, picking out Frederick at the back post. This time, however, Frederick’s header found the side netting.

Colorado’s Georgi Minoungou threatened in the 46th minute, sending a shot toward the far post from the left side of the box that was deflected Stuver.

Joseph Rosales’ cross in the 63rd minute was ticketed for Brandon Vazquez. The pass pulled Hansen off his line, but Vazquez whiffed on the header.

Colorado finished with 60.5% of the possession and an 8-3 advantage in shots on goal.

–Field Level Media

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Evander's goal, 3 assists spark Cincinnati over Quakes

Aug 1, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; FC Cincinnati forward Evander (10) dribbles against San Jose Earthquakes defender Daniel Munie (5) in the first half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn ImagesAug 1, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; FC Cincinnati forward Evander (10) dribbles against San Jose Earthquakes defender Daniel Munie (5) in the first half at TQL Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Evander scored his 11th goal on a sensational strike from 35 yards out in the 82nd minute and FC Cincinnati rallied from behind twice to earn a 4-2 victory over the visiting San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday night.

Evander also assisted on the three other goals for Cincinnati (7-6-5, 26 points), which won its third out of four overall and its second out of three since returning from the World Cup break.

The creative Brazilian midfielder has scored 10 of his 11 goals and 10 of his 11 assists in his last eight league matches stretching back to May 2.

Substitute Tom Barlow leveled it at 2-2 in the 79th minute and Bryan Ramirez knotted it at 1-1 in the 33rd of a match that kicked off more than two hours late due to severe weather. Ayoub Jabbari added an insurance tally in second-half stoppage time.

Timo Werner scored his fifth goal and assisted another for San Jose (10-5-3, 33 points), which has won only once in its last nine across all competitions.

Daniel Munie scored an early goal for San Jose in just the Quakes’ second road loss of the season.

The visitors just had no answer for Evander late.

First, he played an incredible throughball across his body directly into the path of Barlow’s surging run.

Barlow had plenty left to do, and he finished emphatically with a low strike past Angus Gunn and inside the left post.

Three minutes later, Evander took the ball in a seemingly harmless location well beyond the penalty area, picked his head up, and unleashed a sensational bending strike that beat the sprawling Gunn to the top left corner.

After pulling level just after the half-hour mark, Cincinnati began the second half looking the more likely side to take the lead, only to be stung by a well-worked Quakes counter.

Ousenni Bouda collected a pass near the midfield line, turned and fed the ball forward for Preston Judd, apparently just in time to beat Cincinnati’s offside trap.

Judd immediately hit an early low cross into the path of Werner on the opposite flank, and Werner guided a first-time finish past the charging Roman Celentano and into the net for his first MLS tally since late April.

–Field Level Media

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Reports: Dodgers acquire 2-time Cy Young LHP Tarik Skubal from Tigers

Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal tips his hat to the fans after delivering his 1,000 strikeout against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Tarik Skubal tips his hat to the fans after delivering his 1,000 strikeout against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at Comerica Park in Detroit on Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

The Los Angeles Dodgers are landing the biggest trade piece at this year’s deadline in two-time defending American League Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal from the Detroit Tigers, according to multiple reports on Saturday night.

The addition of the left-handed ace is a major boost to a Los Angeles side looking to become the first National League team to win three consecutive World Series, a feat last accomplished by the New York Yankees from 1998-2000.

ESPN and The Athletic reported that Detroit would in turn receive three prospects in outfielder Zyhir Hope and right-handers River Ryan and Brady Smith.

Skubal, 29, elevated from ninth-round pick in the 2018 MLB Draft out of Seattle University to one of the best pitchers in baseball. He became the 12th player in major league history to win consecutive Cy Young awards in 2024-25, leading the Tigers to their first two postseason appearances since 2014.

However, he’s set to be a free agent at the end of the season, and this year’s Detroit team is three games back from the final AL wild-card spot.

Skubal has a 61-42 record and 3.04 career ERA over seven seasons with the Tigers. He’s posted ERAs of 2.80 or better in each of his last four seasons, including a league leading 2.39 in 2024 and 2.21 in 2025 — earning All-Star nods both years.

He missed six weeks earlier this season after undergoing surgery to remove loose bodies from his left elbow. However, he returned ahead of schedule in June and has a 2.87 ERA with 71 strikeouts and eight walks in nine starts since returning. Overall, Skubal is 7-5 this season with a 2.79 ERA, 14 walks and 114 strikeouts in 96 2/3 innings over 16 starts.

He became the fastest player in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (153 games) in what was his final start for Detroit on Wednesday.

The Dodgers’ need for starting pitching depth ramped up in the last few weeks as star slugger/pitcher Shohei Ohtani has been sidelined from pitching due to knee inflammation and bicep soreness. While his timeline for a return to the mound is uncertain, it becomes less of a major need with the addition of Skubal.

Hope, 21, is the biggest piece of the return haul for the Tigers. He ranks as the Dodgers’ No. 5 prospect and the No. 25 overall prospect in baseball according to MLB Pipeline. He’s hitting .293 with 23 homers, 87 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 21 attempts in 94 games this season at Double-A Tulsa.

Ryan, 27, is the Dodgers’ seventh-ranked prospect and the No. 68 prospect in baseball. He made his major league debut in 2024 for Los Angeles, posting a 1-0 record and 1.33 ERA over four starts and 20 1/3 innings.

However, he hasn’t been back to the majors in the last two seasons and was sidelined for the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

He returned this spring and was 3-1 with a 4.46 ERA over eight starts for Triple-A Oklahoma City, striking out 43 and walking eight over 36 1/3 innings.

Smith, 21, is Los Angeles’ No. 17 prospect, reaching High-A earlier this season after he was a third-round draft pick by the Dodgers in 2023. He has a career 0-10 minor league record with a 4.72 ERA over 31 outings (30 starts). He’s a combined 0-7 this season for two teams with a 4.36 ERA across 21 starts, with 113 strikeouts and 30 walks in 74 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

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