Williams' agency, Elite Loyalty Sports, announced the deal that includes $37 million of fully guaranteed money and a $22 million signing bonus. Williams had been owed about $33 million this season in the final year of a three-year, $82.3 million deal he had signed before the 2024 season before agreeing to the new contract.

The 49ers got the deal done on the first day of their offseason program and three days before the start of the draft. San Francisco has the 27th pick in the first round and had been linked to some tackles but that could be less of a priority now that Williams is under contract for two more seasons.

Williams turns 38 in July but is still playing at a high level after making the Pro Bowl and earning second-team All-Pro honors.

San Francisco originally acquired Williams from Washington for a third and fifth-round pick during the 2020 draft and re-signed him to a six-year, $138.1 million contract the following offseason. The sides did a reworked three-year deal just before the start of the 2024 season after Williams held out of training camp.

There was much less drama this time around as the two sides came to the agreement before the start of the offseason program.

Williams is coming off his 12th Pro Bowl season — the most for any offensive tackle — and is two shy of tying Hall of Famer Bruce Matthews' record for any offensive lineman.

Williams made three straight All-Pro teams from 2021-23 before being hampered by injuries in 2024. He was healthy for most of last season, playing 16 games for the first time since 2013.

Williams' 40 pressures allowed last season were his most since his rookie season with Washington in 2010, according to Pro Football Focus, but he still remained one of the top left tackles in the game in both run and pass blocking.

The 49ers have not drafted a tackle with a Day 1 or Day 2 draft pick since acquiring Williams from Washington during the 2020 draft, leaving the team with no obvious succession plan for when Williams' tenure in San Francisco is finished.

San Jose (7-1-0) moves into a first-place tie with the Vancouver Whitecaps in the Western Conference and Supporters' Shield races in the Earthquakes' second season under head coach Bruce Arena.

Daniel De Sousa Britto missed a chance to tie Lloris with a sixth clean sheet on an own goal by Reid Roberts in the 74th minute. He had three saves.

Bouda used assists from newcomer Timo Werner — his third — and Beau Leroux to find the net in the 53rd minute after a scoreless first half.

Werner, sidelined the past two weeks with a lower-body injury, took a pass from Leroux three minutes later and scored his first MLS goal for a 2-0 lead. Leroux's assists gives him four, matching his total last season in 33 appearances as a rookie.

An own goal on Ryan Porteous in the 59th minute made it 3-0 in a span of six minutes.

Bouda's fourth goal of the season capped the scoring in the 80th minute. Niko Tsakiris notched his career-high fifth assist.

Lloris finished with two saves in a second straight loss for LAFC (5-2-1), third in the West. Lloris sat out a 2-1 road loss to the Portland Timbers.

San Jose has won all four of its road matches.

LAFC was 6-0-1 at BMO Stadium in all competitions entering play, outscoring its opponents 17-1.

Up next

LAFC: Hosts the Colorado Rapids on Wednesday..

San Jose: Hosts Austin FC on Wednesday.

After making a surprising push for the playoffs that lasted to the final week of the season, the young Sharks now appear poised to make that next step back to the postseason behind budding superstar Macklin Celebrini.

"I mean obviously it's disappointing," Celebrini said about finishing four points out of the final wild-card spot. "We didn't make playoffs and we were right there. We knew we could have done it and that stings a little bit. But I think you got to look at the positives. We made a lot of big strides as a group, and we played some good hockey."

The 39 wins for the Sharks equaled the team's total from the previous two seasons combined and revitalized a fan base that had grown apathetic during a tear down and rebuild. The Shark Tank was frequently packed with attendance increasing by nearly 2,000 fans per game thanks to 24 sellouts as the young core led by Celebrini caught the attention of the Bay Area market.

After losing the first six games of the seasons, the Sharks battled back and were in playoff position at times in March before a six-game losing streak late that month pushed them down the standings and a three-game skid in April ultimately doomed them.

The team finished with 86 points and increased its scoring by 41 goals thanks in large part to a record-setting season by Celebrini. But a leaky defense, inconsistent goaltending and the seventh worst penalty kill unit led to 290 goals allowed for the third highest total in the league.

"I think we're still a long ways away from getting to where we want to go," general manager Mike Grier said. "It's not just being wild card two and losing in the first round. There's a bigger prize here that we're after, so we're kind of still in the baby steps of that. Hopefully, you now, we're starting to come out of the rebuild and take positive steps forward."

The path to the playoffs is now visible after three straight seasons with a bottom four record — including back-to-back campaigns as the worst team in the league — helped boost the quality of the roster.

Along with Celebrini, the No. 1 pick in the 2024 draft, the Sharks have added several other building blocks through the draft in recent years with players like Will Smith, Michael Misa, Sam Dickinson and Igor Chernyshov all showing this season that they can be part of the long-term success in San Jose.

Led by Celebrini's team-record 115 points, the Sharks got 344 points from players age 23 or younger this season for the second highest total for any team in the last 17 seasons.

"I don't know what is going to happen, but I'm excited for this organization," said defenseman Mario Ferraro, who has been part of seven straight Sharks teams that missed the playoffs.

"It's been a long time that we've had prospects and picks and guys coming in. But we're quite ready to put a team together to make a run for playoffs and a Stanley Cup. Now you can see that those picks and those prospects and guys coming in are making a huge difference. It's obvious the guys who are, right? It's exciting for this organization."

Celebrini is the biggest reason why as he established himself as one of the league's top players at age 19 with his performance throughout the season and on the big stage of the Olympics in February.

Celebrini had 45 goals and 70 assists, breaking Joe Thornton's franchise record of 114 points set in 2006-07 and trailing Wayne Gretzky (137 in 1979-80) and Sidney Crosby (120 in 2006-07) for the most in a season for a player before turning 20.

The performance put him in the running for Hart Trophy as league MVP. Defenseman Vincent Desharnais, who played previously with superstars like Connor McDavid in Edmonton and Crosby in Pittsburgh, sees even bigger things in the future for the Sharks as a team and Celebrini as a player.

"It's going to be exciting to see the next few years because this team's going be a playoff team," Desharnais said. "The boat is turned around and he's one of the main reasons why. At 19 years old everything he's achieved, whether it's the Olympics, whether it is with this team and how he is off the ice as well, a good heart, a good person. I'm very excited to see what's going to be next for him. But the sky's the limit and there's going to be many, many more records being broken for him."

Alvarez (1-0), recalled earlier Sunday from Triple-A Rochester, allowed three hits, struck out five and walked none.

Keibert Ruiz had a run-scoring double and a single for Washington, which earned its first shutout since Sept. 1, 2025 against Miami. San Francisco was blanked for the fourth time this season.

Miles Mikolas replaced opener PJ Poulin with two on and two outs in the first inning and worked four innings. He allowed four hits, struck out four, walked one and lowered his ERA from 11.49 to 9.15.

Rafael Devers and Drew Gilbert had two hits each for the Giants, who were seeking their first four-game win streak of the season under first-year manager Tony Vitello.

The Giants went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 men on base.

Robbie Ray (2-3) allowed three runs on seven hits over six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Washington scored three runs in the fifth. Nasim Nuñez beat out a drag bunt and stole second. Ruiz hit a line drive to left-center, and left fielder Heliot Ramos couldn't come up with the diving catch as Nuñez scored. Mead then lined a first-pitch changeup to left for a two-run homer.

San Francisco's Luis Arraez (0 for 4) went hitless for the first time in 14 career games at Nationals Park.

Up next

Giants: RHP Landon Roupp (3-1, 2.38 ERA) opposes Dodgers RHP Yoshinobu Yamamoto (2-1, 2.38) in the series opener at San Francisco on Tuesday.

Nationals: RHP Jake Irvin (1-2, 6.16) starts against Braves RHP Reynaldo Lopez (1-0, 2.18) in the first of a four-game series on Monday.

"It might still go on. It may not," Kerr said after the Warriors lost in Phoenix and were eliminated from the play-in tournament.

He shared an embrace with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, the team's two constants from the Warriors' title runs with Kerr, near the team's bench in the game's final moments.

Kerr wouldn't reveal what he said in that moment. "None of your business," he said, smiling.

The NBA later posted video of the exchange on X and Kerr could be heard saying: "I don't know what's gonna happen next, but I love you guys to death. I thank you. I appreciate you."

Green and Curry both made clear that they want Kerr back. Kerr's future has been the subject of speculation for some time, fueled in part by his coaching this year on the final season of his existing contract. The Warriors missed the playoffs this season for the fourth time in the last seven years.

"I want Coach to be happy. I want him to be excited about the job. I want him to believe you know he's the right guy for the job," Curry said. "I want him to have an opportunity to again enjoy what he does. So, whatever that means for him, you know, everybody's plan is their own. And I'm not going to try to tell anybody what to do. He knows how I feel about him. That shouldn't even need to be said."

Added Green, when asked if he could even fathom the Warriors without Kerr on the sideline: "I just don't deal with change well. I don't love it. So, I don't want to think about that. I hope that's not the case, but we'll see what happens."

The 60-year-old Kerr just finished his 12th season with the Warriors. He's 604-353 in that span, led Golden State to the NBA Finals in each of his first five seasons — and once since then as well — plus guided the U.S. to Olympic gold at the Paris Games in 2024.

His playoff record of 104-48 is nearly unmatched; among coaches with at least 100 playoff games in their career, his .684 playoff winning percentage is second only — and barely — to Phil Jackson, who went 229-104 (.688).

Kerr said he'll meet with Warriors owner Joe Lacob and general manager Mike Dunleavy to chart a path for what's next. He suggested that it might come in a week or two.

"We'll talk about what's next for the Warriors, what the plan is this offseason," Kerr said. "And we will come to a collaborative decision on what's next. I don't know what's going to happen. I still love coaching. But I get it. These jobs all have an expiration date. there's a run that happens, and when the run ends, sometimes it's time for new blood and new ideas and all that.

"And, if that's the case, then I will be just nothing but grateful for the most amazing opportunity any person could have to coach this franchise, in front of our fans in the Bay and to coach Steph Curry, to coach Dray and the whole group."

Kerr wouldn't say what some of the factors are that might sway his decision, calling those private.

"If it's right, it's right," Kerr said. "And if it's not, it's not."

There will be talks with Curry as well; the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history, who just finished his 17th season — all with Golden State — said he plans to play for "multiple" seasons after this and would be interested in an extension.

"It'll be a busy summer for the Warriors," Curry said, smiling.

The Warriors were 37-45 this season, dealing with injuries the entire way. They rallied Wednesday from a 13-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Los Angeles Clippers and move into Friday's play-in finale, only to fall short against the Suns.

And now, the Warriors wait to see what's next.

"This was as tough a season as you can have, with the injuries, with all kinds of adversity," Kerr said. "And they battled, and they battled the entire season. They kept going the other night just to, you know, continue the season, to show that kind of fight. And then tonight, we just didn't have it. But the competitive desire was there. And I'm proud of the group for finishing the season the right way by continuing to fight and trying to win every game."

Kerr — who won five championships as a player, to go along with his four rings as a coach — has spoken often of his good fortunes within the game. He played for Lute Olson at Arizona, played with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago, played with David Robinson and Tim Duncan in San Antonio and played for Jackson and Gregg Popovich as a pro.

And coaching Curry — the greatest face of a franchise he's ever seen, he said — is another honor, Kerr has insisted.

"The only thing I've learned is that I'm the luckiest guy in the NBA's history," Kerr said.

Drew Gilbert and Casey Schmitt hit solo homers, and Matt Chapman had three hits and drove in three runs for the Giants, who had scored three runs or less in each of their past five games.

Ramos drove in his fourth run with a bases-loaded walk in the ninth.

Every batter in the San Francisco starting lineup had at least one hit and the Giants banged out 15 hits in winning their second straight after a four-game skid.

Webb (2-2) allowed four runs on seven hits. The 29-year-old right-hander struck out six and walked two.

James Wood and Daylen Lile homered, and Jose Tena had three hits for the Nationals in the opener of a seven-game homestand following a 5-2 trip.

Zack Littell (0-2) allowed eight runs on 11 hits in four innings for Washington.

The Giants, who entered the game averaging a league-low 3.05 runs per game, sent 10 men to plate and scored six times in the second inning. Heliot hit his three-run shot into the batter's eye in center, Chapman lined a two-out, two-run single to left center and Rafael Devers doubled him home.

Gilbert hit a solo homer in the fourth and Chapman singled home another run.

Lile pulled the Nationals within 8-3 with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the inning.

Schmitt's homer in the seventh made it 9-4 before Wood answered with his sixth homer of the season, a solo shot to left center, in the bottom half.

San Francisco's Luis Arraez singled twice and has hit safely in each of his 12 career games at Nationals Park.

Up next

Giants RHP Adrian Houser (0-2, 5.06) opposes RHP Cade Cavalli (0-1, 4.60) on Saturday.

The 19-year-old Celebrini had 45 goals and 70 assists in 82 games in his second NHL season. Thornton had 114 points in 2006-07, also playing 82 games. Last season, Celebrini had 63 points in 70 games, with 25 goals and 38 assists.

San Jose missed the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season, finishing 39-35-8.

The Jets were 35-35-12 to miss the playoffs for the first time since 2021-22. They are the fifth NHL team to win the Presidents' Trophy for the best regular-season record and not qualify for the playoffs the following season.

William Eklund also had a goal and two assists for San Jose. Will Smith had a goal and an assist, Collin Graf, Igor Chernyshov and Michael Misa also scored, and John Klingberg added three assists. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots.

Cole Koepke scored for Winnipeg.

Roupp (3-1) didn't allow a hit until No. 9 batter P.J. Higgins led off the sixth with a single. That ended up being the Reds' only hit of the day.

Roupp hit TJ Friedl with a pitch, but Matt McLain struck out and Elly De La Cruz grounded into a double play to end the threat. Roupp walked two, struck out six and left after 87 pitches.

Ryan Walker pitched the seventh and Keaton Winn struck out two in the eighth. Erik Miller struck out the side in the ninth for his first career save.

The Giants rallied when Luis Arraez reached on an error by De La Cruz at short leading off the seventh against reliever Brock Burke (1-1). Arraez scored from first on Chapman's two-out double off the wall in left-center field. Jung Hoo Lee followed with an RBI single. Connor Phillips entered and walked Heliot Ramos before Casey Schmitt singled in a third unearned run.

Reds rookie Chase Burns allowed two hits and a walk, but still faced the minimum through six scoreless innings. He struck out four and left after throwing 87 pitches.

Phillips was ejected in the eighth for intentionally hitting Willy Adames with a pitch after Roupp plunked Spencer Steer in the second.

The Reds had homered in seven straight games.

The win snapped a four-game skid and helped the Giants avoid a three-game sweep.

Giants RHP Logan Webb (1-2, 5.25) starts Friday's opener of a three-game series in Washington opposite Nationals RHP Zack Littell (0-1, 4.20).

Reds LHP Brandon Williamson (1-1, 5.28) starts Friday's opener of a three-game series in Minnesota opposite Twins RHP Joe Ryan (2-1, 3.80).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Curry's seventh 3-pointer broke a tie with 50.4 seconds to play for the 10th-seeded Warriors, who erased a 13-point deficit in the fourth quarter.

Golden State finished on a 16-6 run and held Kawhi Leonard scoreless in the fourth until the final 16 seconds.

After this time-defying rally, Curry, Draymond Green and the postseason-tested Warriors are one game from another playoff berth despite going 37-45 in the regular season and losing Jimmy Butler for the season in January.

The Warriors will travel to face Phoenix on Friday, with the winner moving on to face defending champion Oklahoma City in the first round.

Leonard scored 21 points for the Clippers, who missed the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and only the third time during their streak of 15 consecutive winning seasons. Bennedict Mathurin led Los Angeles with 23 points and Darius Garland had 21 points and eight assists while battling foul trouble.

The Clippers led 98-85 with 9:53 to play, but the 38-year-old Curry led Golden State's furious comeback alongside Kristaps Porzingis, who scored 20 points, and the 39-year-old Horford.

Golden State got a classic second-half barrage from Curry, who returned only five games ago from a 27-game absence with a knee injury. He scored 16 points in a six-minute span of the third quarter to keep the Warriors in it while the Clippers nearly pulled away.

After Horford hit three 3-pointers down the stretch in the fourth quarter, Gui Santos' layup with 2:45 to play trimmed the Clips' lead to 115-114. Horford's fourth 3-pointer put the Warriors up 117-115 with 2:12 left.

The Clippers rallied from a chaotic 6-21 start to finish 42-40 in this once-woebegone franchise's 15th consecutive winning season — the NBA's longest active streak. But two late-season losses to Portland dropped Los Angeles to the No. 9 seed, requiring the Clips to get two play-in victories instead of one to make the playoffs.

After managing just eight points on 2-for-9 shooting in the first half, Curry scored 16 points and hit three 3-pointers in six electrifying minutes of the third quarter.

Referee Ben Taylor left shortly after halftime with an injury. He was replaced by alternate referee Sean Corbin.

"Yes, I took a picture of that," said Larios.

The fandom surrounding the Valkyries was on full display during their inaugural season, selling out every home game and amassing over 10,000 season ticket holders.

One of those season ticket holders was Audacious Wilson. She's a part of the team's founding guard and is counting down the seconds to get back into her seat in Chase Center.

"I'm super excited about the team. I'm excited about the draft to see who we draft in," Wilson said. "That's so exciting. I'm just excited to see what coach has planned for us and has in store."

The Valkyries became the first WNBA expansion team to make it to the playoffs in their first year. That set the bar high.
Fans are hoping this year the Valks can go even deeper into the playoffs.

Wilson said she's confident it could happen.

"I just know coach and the whole coaching staff, I know they have some things up their sleeves this season, so I'm just ready to see them put those things into action," she said.

Whatever happens this year, the team can guarantee their fanbase will be with them the whole way. Thousands of season ticket holders are set to return.

And just like Larios, they'll be showing up opening night ready to rock Ballhalla in head-to-toe Valks Violet.

"I'm pretty sure a lot of people are waiting for the Valkyries just like me, and it won't stop. It will get bigger," Larios said.

Speaking at CNBC's Invest in America Forum, Infantino said it is important that Iran participates in the World Cup even though that has been in doubt since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on the country.

"The Iranian team is coming for sure, yes," Infantino said. "We hope that by then, of course, the situation will be a peaceful situation. As I said, that would definitely help. But Iran has to come. Of course, they represent their people. They have qualified. The players want to play." 

Infantino met with the Iranian men's national team in Antalya, Turkey, two weeks ago, and said Wednesday he was impressed.

"I went to see them. They are actually quite a good team as well," Infantino said. "And they really want to play and they should play. Sports should be outside of politics now."

Infantino acknowledged it's not always possible to achieve the separation of sports and politics.

President Trump has appeared to waffle on whether Iran should take part in the World Cup, which the U.S. is co-hosting with Mexico and Canada. In a White House meeting in mid-March, Mr. Trump told FIFA representatives that Iran was welcome to play in the tournament, officials told CBS News at the time. However, two days later, Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social that while the Iranian team was "welcome" to participate, he didn't "believe it is appropriate that they be there, for their own life and safety."

Following those remarks, the president of the Iranian Football Federation said the nation was negotiating with FIFA to play its matches in Mexico. 

"When [President] Trump has explicitly stated that he cannot ensure the security of the Iranian national team, we will certainly not travel to America," Mehdi Taj said last month.

Iran is currently scheduled to play all three of its group games in the U.S., with two at SoFi Stadium outside Los Angeles, and a third in Seattle.

With the Predators loss, the idle Anaheim Ducks clinched a playoff berth for the first time since 2018.

Later Monday, the Sharks and Predators were both eliminated from the playoffs after the Los Angeles Kings beat the Seattle Kraken. San Jose missed the playoffs for the seventh straight season.

Celebrini's 30th multi-point game of the season moved him into a tie with Owen Nolan (1999-00) and Patrick Marleau (2009-10) for second-most by a Shark in a single season — only trailing Jonathan Cheechoo's 56 in 2005-06.

Igor Chernyshov netted his third goal in the past two games on a power play to open the scoring for the Sharks.

It was the longest skid for the Sharks against one opponent and had been Nashville's longest winning streak against one opponent.

Luke Evangelista scored both goals for the Predators to reach 12 on the season.

Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots in the win for the Sharks. Justus Annunen had 20 saves for the Predators.

Up next:

Sharks: Visit the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday.

Predators: Host the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday.

Curry's pregame dribbling and shooting routine had fans showing up early again in the regular-season's final week at Chase Center just for a glimpse, phone cameras held high — including by the rehabbing Jimmy Butler — to capture the must-see moments as everyone suddenly realizes No. 30 is hardly immortal, as much as it used to seem.

And it might be short-lived, for this season anyway. These injury-plagued Golden State Warriors are a long shot, even if Curry hopes to save the day on his troublesome right knee.

The two-time MVP and his Warriors have a daunting task just to get into the playoffs: They are the tenth seed in the Western Conference and need to win a pair of elimination games on the road to earn the eighth seed and a chance to face defending champion and No. 1 Oklahoma City.

Golden State will play Wednesday night against the Clippers in Los Angeles.

"Until we get bounced from whatever this is, we're going to approach it the same way: dignity, competitiveness and confidence that you can win any game," Curry said. "That's just the mentality we have."

And Curry never considered saying forget about it and sitting out the rest of the way, though there were some rough times alone in the training room.

He wanted to come back and try. He knows these opportunities won't last forever, having turned 38 last month and finishing up a 17th NBA season that hardly has gone as planned.

But, with Curry, there is renewed hope.

"There's a momentum and a confidence," coach Steve Kerr said. "He's Steph Curry for a reason."

Guard Gary Payton II put the Warriors' chances this way: "Whatever we put our mind to — now that Superman's back."

Backcourt mate Butler went down in January against his former Heat team with a torn ACL in his right knee that required surgery. There has been a long list of other injured players, too. That meant continuity was lacking much of the season. The Warriors traded away Jonathan Kuminga and Buddy Hield to Atlanta for Kristaps Porzingis at the trade deadline, yet the big man also had his health challenges that limited his availability.

"There's a level of dignity and a level of competition that we can't run from, the way that we approach things," Curry said. "The fact that I have a chance to play and the fact that I'm out there, that comes with expectations. Whether you achieve them or not, the energy you put into it makes you who you are — whether you win or you lose. You're chasing championships or not."

Draymond Green has provided some continuity to Kerr's rotation, appearing in 68 games. Green and Curry have captured four championships together under Kerr, but they all know their time is fleeting.

Ahead of Curry's 29-point performance against Durant and the Rockets in a one-point loss last weekend in his comeback, Kerr called his superstar "the greatest face of a franchise in any sport I've ever seen."

"He's one of the most beloved players in league history, Bay Area history, any sport," Kerr added, "so tonight's a special night because we're reminded how lucky we've been and how lucky we still are."

Curry came off the bench to rousing standing ovations in his first two home games before returning to the starting five for Friday night's loss at Sacramento. Before the Houston game, he hadn't played since Jan. 30, missing 27 games.

The Warriors went 9-18 during that stretch with him sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Just having Curry back and healthy means so much no matter the role — to the game on the court, yes, but also the mood and morale in the locker room.

"He makes the game a lot easier for everybody," Green said. "Things just kind of fit into their normal spots. The familiarity looked more like the team I'm accustomed to seeing. The spacing is different, he obviously draws two or three people, so just having different reads to make, different things opening up because he's on the floor I think is probably the biggest difference. And also the confidence level of our group is probably the biggest difference. He comes on the court you just think you can win."

The message from Curry remains simple about why he wants to be out there.

"I love playing basketball," he said, "it's what I get paid to do.

"... Our season's been different than we expected, but the fact that there is something to still play for gives all of us a lot of confidence down the stretch to make something out it, and I want to be a part of that."

The Clippers settled for the No. 9 seed and will host the 10th-seeded Warriors on Wednesday after Portland beat Sacramento 122-110 to claim the eighth seed. The Clippers and Trail Blazers finished with identical 42-40 records, but Portland won the tiebreaker based on its better Western Conference record.

The Clippers began the season 6-21 and rallied to extend their franchise-record streak of 15 seasons with a record above .500, the longest active run in the NBA and fourth-longest in league history.

Stephen Curry scored 24 points, going 4 of 9 from 3-point range, to lead the Warriors, who finished at 37-45. Curry was limited to 29 minutes after playing in four of the last five games, having missed the previous 27 with a right knee injury.

The Clippers' bench outscored the Warriors' reserves 71-56. Besides Mathurin, Bogdan Bogdanovic had 17 points, tying his season high with five 3-pointers, including three in a row in the fourth quarter.

John Collins added 18 points and nine rebounds as one of six Clippers in double figures.

Kawhi Leonard sat out for the Clippers to rest ankle and wrist injuries, while Draymond Green was out for the Warriors with a bad back.

The Clippers hit five 3s in the fourth, when the Warriors had just one to end the game.

The Warriors tied it five times in the third quarter, but the Clippers took an 83-81 lead into the fourth.

The Clippers have won 11 of 12 at home against Golden State, including nine in a row. The Warriors haven't beaten the Clippers on the road since Nov. 28, 2021.

It was more heartache for Rose, and frustration for the others who had a chance.

Rose had a two-shot lead that evaporated around Amen Corner with two bogeys and a three-putt par. He couldn't make up enough ground the rest of the way and had to settle for a third close call at the Masters.

Cameron Young lost his two-shot lead much earlier with a long three-putt bogey on the par-3 sixth and taking bogey on the next hole when he hit wedge from the fairway into a bunker. One shot behind going to the back nine, Young closed with nine straight pars.

As for Scheffler, the world's No. 1 player was in position to shatter the Masters record with the largest 36-hole comeback in history. He was 12 behind going into the weekend. He was two shots behind as he approached the turn. But he ran off 11 straight pars - that wasn't going to cut it during a final round with accessible pins to create excitement.

Scheffler had to settle for his third runner-up finish in the majors to go along with four titles. His 65-68 weekend made him the first player since 1942 to go bogey-free on the weekend at Augusta.

"I put up a good fight in order to give myself a chance," Scheffler said.

Rose, at age 45, trying to become the second-oldest Masters champion behind Jack Nicklaus (46) in 1986, made it feel as though this was going to be his time. He made a most improbable birdie with a shot out of the trees to a foot on the seventh. That was the start of three straight birdies to close out the front nine and give him the lead.

But his approach to the 11th was well to the right and he failed to save par. His tee shot on the 12th was long, and his delicate chip didn't reach the green, leading to another bogey. And then his 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th ran 8 feet by the hole and he missed the birdie putt.

"Chance that got away," Rose said. "I was by no means free and clear and was nowhere kind of close to having the job done, but I was right in position. ... I was really in control. And the mentality was to run through the finish line, not just try and get it done.

"I was playing great, but just momentum shifted for me around the Amen Corner."

At the end it was a now familiar champion, McIlroy, once tormented by his chase for the green jacket and now a two-time winner whose love for the Masters only deepens.

He was so ecstatic a year ago that he asked the media when it was over, "What are we going to talk about next year?" Now the topic is easy. No one has ever won three in a row.

Baltimore has won five of six games and moved above .500 for the first time since its opening day victory.

Casey Schmitt homered off the foul pole in left in the ninth inning as part of a three-hit day for the Giants, who dropped two of three to the Orioles.

Baltimore starter Cade Povich (1-0) retired the first 12 batters and yielded one run in 6 2/3 innings on his 26th birthday. The left-hander allowed five hits and no walks and struck out five.

Basallo ripped Adrian Houser's two-out sinker into the Baltimore bullpen in left-center to score Alonso in the first inning. It was Basallo's second homer of the season.

Alonso chased Houser (0-2) with a two-run double down the left-field line in the fifth. Houser gave up four runs and struck out three in 4 2/3 innings.

Baltimore's Coby Mayo had an RBI single in the sixth, and Colton Cowser's bases-loaded infield single in the seventh made it 6-1.

San Francisco second baseman Luis Arraez sat out after leaving Saturday night's game with a bruised right wrist.

"I think with a day off tomorrow, it makes sense if we can get through today's game without using him, you get almost three days of recovery so he can get to feeling great instead of just good enough to play," Giants manager Tony Vitello said.

Up next

The Giants' road trip continues Tuesday when LHP Robbie Ray (2-1, 2.08 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game series at Cincinnati.

Baltimore has not announced its pitching plans for Monday's series opener against visiting Arizona.

After each team scored only once in the first five rounds, Karlsson ended the game when he beat Yaroslav Askarov to snap Vancouver's four-game losing streak and spoil the final home game of a promising season for San Jose.

After finishing last in the league the past two seasons, the Sharks have jumped 30 points in the standings. But they trail Los Angeles by five points with three games remaining in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Igor Chernyshov scored his second goal of the game to give the Sharks a 3-2 lead with 7:16 left in regulation but Teddy Blueger tied it on the power play with 3:00 left.

Marco Rossi and Jake DeBrusk also scored for the Canucks. Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves.

Macklin Celebrini assisted on both of Chernyshov's goals to give him 110 points on the season, four shy of the franchise record set by Hall of Famer Joe Thornton in 2006-07.

Tyler Toffoli also scored for San Jose and Askarov made 38 saves.

The Sharks opened the scoring late in the first when Celebrini won an offensive draw and got the puck to Chernyshov, who went right to the net and beat Lankinen.

The Canucks tied it in the second when Askarov made a bad read on a dump in that went off the boards to the other side of the net. He tried to knock the net over to block the puck from entering but Rossi still scored.

The teams traded goals later in the second with Toffoli scoring on the rush for San Jose and DeBrusk answering on the power play.

Up next

Canucks: Visit Anaheim on Sunday night.

Sharks: Visit Nashville on Monday night.

In the announcement of her multi-year contract, general manager Ohemaa Nyanin described Burton as "the backbone" of the team during their inaugural season.

"She started every single game, led us in nearly every statistical category, and was the connective tissue between our locker room and our coaching staff," Nyanin said. "Her work ethic, leadership and voice were exactly what we needed in year one, and we cannot wait to see her continue to grow here in Golden State. Building this roster has always started with character, and Veronica is exactly the type of person we continue to build around."

Burton led the team in total points, rebounds and assists by averaging 11.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. In addition to ranking third in the WNBA for assists per game, she put up a 24-point, single-game performance with 14 assists and zero turnovers on Aug. 19 — a WNBA first.

The Valkyries obtained Burton from the Connecticut Sun during the 2025 expansion draft, and she will be entering her fourth season in the WNBA when Golden State Valkyries basketball returns on May 8.

Leo Carlsson, Alex Killorn and Frank Vatrano also scored and Beckett Sennecke had two assists for the Ducks, who jumped to a 4-0 lead and dominated their Pacific Division rivals for their first win since March 26.

Carlson scored two power-play goals in the third period, connecting with 5:57 left to secure the first hat trick of his 1,156-game career. The veteran defenseman has been exactly what the Ducks needed when they acquired him at the trade deadline, scoring 12 points in 13 games while steadying the back end for one of the NHL's worst defensive teams.

Lukas Dostal made 16 saves, but the Ducks fell 7:20 short of their first shutout in 160 games since last season's opener on Oct. 12, 2024 — also against San Jose.

Shakir Mukhamadullin scored and Yaroslav Askarov stopped 27 shots for the Sharks, who had won five of seven to surge into playoff contention.

Carlsson put the Ducks ahead less than three minutes after the opening faceoff, driving the net and finishing for his 28th goal.

Carlson scored only his second goal in a Ducks uniform later in the first, blasting it home around Sennecke's screen. San Jose didn't get its first shot on goal until 13 minutes into the period.

Killorn tapped in a pass from Sennecke off a two-on-one rush for his 14th goal in the second.

Neither team was called for a penalty until San Jose's Collin Graf was binned for hooking with 10:20 to play, and Carlson fired home his second goal on the ensuing power play.

Vatrano scored only his second goal since Dec. 7 in the waning minutes.

Up next

Sharks: Host Vancouver on Saturday.

Ducks: Host Vancouver on Sunday.

James shot 11 for 17 and made three 3-pointers. He exited briefly after appearing to jam his hand blocking a shot by Pat Spencer with 6:05 remaining in the third quarter.

After 23 years in the league and at age 41, James' future is uncertain. He is three years older than Curry, who sat out the front end of a home-road back-to-back in what is always a highly anticipated matchup — it was Golden State's final scheduled game at Chase Center, given the team is headed on the road for the play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference.

Curry had played the previous two contests in his return from a 27-game absence spanning two-plus months because of a right knee injury. The Warriors weren't ready to risk him playing consecutive nights.

Brandin Podziemski and Nate Williams scored 17 points apiece as Golden State used its 41st starting lineup of the season and was down to 10 healthy players. Newly signed center Charles Bassey had 12 points and 13 rebounds for his second straight double-double, while Spencer had 12 points, six assists and four rebounds.

Coach Steve Kerr hoped to get some reinforcements Friday at Sacramento, with big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porzingis expected to play.

Deandre Ayton added 21 points and five rebounds and Jake LaRavia contributed 16 points, seven rebounds and four assists for the Lakers, who snapped a three-game losing streak with their fourth straight win on the Warriors' home floor.

Golden State's LJ Cryer limped off with 8:16 left in the game after grabbing his right ankle.

Up next

Lakers: Host Phoenix on Friday night.

Warriors: At Sacramento on Friday night.

Springs (2-0) lost his no-hitter on his 84th pitch when Ben Rice hit a single to right field following a walk to Giancarlo Stanton. Springs kept the Yankees scoreless by retiring Austin Wells and Randal Grichuk.

Springs allowed only Rice's hit in seven innings. The left-hander struck out six, walked two and permitted four base runners.

The Yankees have only two hits in their last 17 innings and have not scored since getting two runs in the first inning of Wednesday's 3-2 loss off Luis Severino.

After Springs exited Thursday, Justin Sterner retired Aaron Judge on a groundout with a runner on first to end the eighth. Hogan Harris pitched a 1-2-3 ninth for his fifth career save and first this season.

The A's allowed one hit for the first time since April 15, 2024, at Texas. The Yankees were held to one hit for the first since Aug. 15, 2023, at Atlanta.

The game was scoreless until Max Muncy scored on a single by Tyler Soderstrom off Ryan Weathers after opening the seventh with a triple off the center field fence.

New York had three at-bats with a runner in scoring position.

Weathers allowed one run and seven hits in seven innings. The left-hander struck out seven, walked none and threw a career-high 101 pitches.

It was the 12th start to open the season that a New York starter allowed three runs or fewer.

The Athletics lost Brent Rooker to back pain after he was injured on a swing in the first inning.

Up Next

Athletics: Open a three-game series at Citi Field against the Mets on Friday. The A's did not name a starter and will face New York RHP Clay Holmes (2-0, 1.42 ERA).

Yankees: Luis Gil makes his season debut Friday against Tampa Bay LHP Steven Matz (2-0, 4.09) in the opener of a three-game series at Tropicana Field.

McDavid controlled the game almost from the start, scoring on a power play in the first period and then twice in the second to make it 5-2. He also assisted on power-play goals by Vasily Podkolzin and Jack Roslovic to extend his NHL-leading point total to 133. The star center needs three goals in the final three games for his second career 50-goal season.

Connor Ingram made eight saves on 10 shots in two periods for Edmonton. Tristan Jarry stopped all four shots he faced in the third.

The win gave the Oilers 90 points, two more than Vegas in the division race. The Golden Knights have one game in hand.

Macklin Celebrini scored his 42nd goal for San Jose to give him 108 points this season, the third-most for a teenager behind Wayne Gretzky's 137 and Sidney Crosby's 120.

Kiefer Sherwood also scored for the Sharks, whose playoff hopes were dealt a big blow with the regulation loss. San Jose remains three points behind Nashville and two behind Los Angeles in the race for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. The Sharks have four games remaining with one game in hand over the Predators.

Alex Nedeljkovic made 21 saves for San Jose.

The Oilers scored on all three power-play chances in the best performance for that unit since Leon Draisaitl went down with a lower-body injury on March 15 after scoring with the man advantage early in that game. Edmonton had been 3 for 27 on the power play in 10-plus games since Draisaitl's injury.

Up next:

Oilers: At the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday night.

Sharks: Visit the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday night.

Tyler Mahle and four relievers combined on a four-hitter for the Giants, who blanked Philadelphia 6-0 on four hits Tuesday night behind Robbie Ray and two relievers to halt a four-game losing streak.

Willy Adames and Luis Arraez each had two hits and scored twice at the top of the batting order for San Francisco (5-8), which took two of three games from the Phillies for its second series win of the year.

Philadelphia (6-6) hasn't won a series in San Francisco since 2013.

Devers launched a three-run shot to center field off starter Aaron Nola (1-1) with two outs in the sixth inning, snapping a scoreless tie with his second homer this season.

Adames scored from first base in the eighth on a throwing error by reliever José Alvarado after he fielded Arraez's sacrifice bunt. Devers added an RBI single to make it 5-0.

Mahle pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up three hits and four walks while striking out six. Matt Gage, Caleb Killian, Blade Tidwell and Erik Miller shut down the Phillies the rest of the way.

Gage (1-0) got two outs for his first major league win.

Nola allowed three runs and five hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one. The right-hander had permitted four runs in his first two starts.

Mahle retired Alec Bohm on a grounder with runners at second and third to end the third.

Philadelphia acquired outfielder Steward Berroa from the Milwaukee Brewers for cash and optioned him to Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

Up next

Phillies LHP Jesús Luzardo faces Diamondbacks RHP Michael Soroka in Philadelphia on Friday night.

Giants RHP Landen Roupp opposes Orioles RHP Shane Baz in Baltimore on Friday.

Matt Chapman and rookie catcher Daniel Susac each had three hits for the Giants. Luis Arraez drove in two runs to help San Francisco (4-8) avoid matching its worst start since 2015.

Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto left in the second inning with a bruised foot. Cristopher Sánchez (1-1) gave up 11 hits and four runs — two earned — with six strikeouts in five innings. The left-hander had allowed one run in his first two starts.

Ray (2-1) was steady all night, permitting three hits over 6 2/3 innings. The veteran lefty struck out seven and walked three.

Ryan Walker got four outs and pitched out of two-on jams in the seventh and eighth. Keaton Winn worked a perfect ninth as the Giants teamed up for their first shutout this season.

With two outs in the fifth, Chapman doubled over the lead of leaping left fielder Otto Kemp as Susac scored.

Pinch-hitter Jung Hoo Lee had a sacrifice fly in the sixth, and Susac added a two-run triple in the eighth.

The 24-year-old Susac is 6 for 7 with a walk in two major league games. He became the first major leaguer to begin his career 5 for 5 since Ted Cox of the Boston Red Sox in 1977. The streak ended with a flyout in the sixth.

Up next

Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (1-0, 3.18 ERA) opposes RHP Tyler Mahle (0-2, 7.00) in the series finale Wednesday.

Curry, who missed 27 games before returning Sunday, tied the game at 104 on a 3-pointer with 2:38 remaining, then dished to Brandin Podziemski for a go-ahead 3 the next possession.

Kings 7-foot-1 rookie Maxime Raynaud had 17 points and eight rebounds playing on his 23rd birthday. Killian Hayes scored 18 points off the bench as Sacramento lost for the sixth time in eight games.

De'Anthony Melton had 21 points and Podziemski scored 20 for Golden State.

Curry came off the bench for the second straight game after missing more than two months with a right knee injury and shot 5 for 12 — including a four-point play at the 3:58 mark of the second quarter and another 2:39 before halftime that put the Warriors ahead 60-44.

He entered the game to cheers at the 6:24 mark of the opening quarter and immediately passed off for an assist to Charles Bassey — just as he did Sunday when Bassey signed — on offense before blocking a shot on the defensive end moments later.

There's a chance Curry could be starting again Thursday against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

In Sunday's 117-116 loss to Houston, Curry dazzled down the stretch to score 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting in 26 minutes in his first action since Jan. 30 against Detroit.

The Warriors were all but locked into the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference for the play-in tournament next week.

Warriors rookie Will Richard was a late scratch because of a back injury and Pat Spencer moved into the starting lineup — the 40th different one used by Golden State this season.

Kings: Host the Warriors on Friday night.

Warriors: Host the Lakers on Thursday night.

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/NBA

Smith scored the winning goal on a wrist shot 3:28 into the third, assisted by Collin Graf and Macklin Celebrini, putting the Sharks on top 3-1.

William Eklund had a goal and assist and Kiefer Sherwood also scored for the Sharks.

Ryan Donato and Frank Nazar each scored for the Blackhawks.

Connor Bedard earned his 200th career point with an assist on Donato's first-period goal. Bedard has four assists in his last three games.

Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27 shots in the win for the Sharks. Spencer Knight had 20 saves for the Blackhawks.

The Sharks won 69.2% of the faceoffs in the game.

Up next:

Blackhawks: Host the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.

Sharks: Host the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday.

There's been a lot of thinking to do given the new Giants manager's frustrating 3-8 start in his jump from college coach to the major leagues.

Vitello had a little extra time following Sunday afternoon's game with a night contest the next day to ponder everything that went wrong in San Francisco's third straight defeat, when he was ejected for the first time in his career for arguing in the seventh after Jerar Encarnación was ruled out for running inside the designated lane on his way to first base.

Yes, he constantly dissects the various decisions he makes and is determined to figure this out. The Giants lost again Monday night, squandering an early four-run lead to the Philadelphia Phillies in a 6-4 setback.

"At 3-7 and how yesterday went, I didn't think yesterday was the proper time for me to go gallivanting around San Francisco, so, yeah, I was in my condo the whole night," Vitello said beforehand. "Whether I'm there or sitting with family I apologize to them, 'Find something better to watch if you're watching this.' We're at dinner, I am thinking about this more than that. So, yeah, yesterday sitting at home you finish on a day game and you have a night game, you've got a lot of time to go over that stuff. You replay it all."

Before the start of a three-game series with the Phillies, Vitello and Matt Chapman connected to discuss the third baseman getting caught stealing after his leadoff single in the ninth inning of a 5-2 loss to the Mets that gave New York a weekend sweep.

Vitello knows those kinds of mistakes would be more magnified later in the season, and said the Giants are "trying" so hard to win "it's probably something that everybody's been a little guilty of, of not going about it the way they would if they were thinking clearly but when you're trying to win games as hard as possible sometimes it actually contradicts what your end goal is."

Coming into Monday's game, the Giants had been outscored by 25 runs over their initial 10 contests — the worst mark through 10 games for the franchise since it was minus-49 in 1896. And the club's 3-7 record was tied for its second-worst through 10 games since moving to San Francisco in 1958 — the Giants began 2-8 in 1983.

Chapman, for one, hopes a few things will go the Giants' way so they can grab some much-needed momentum to climb their way up in the powerful NL West after falling to the bottom of the standings, and he is thankful the struggles are happening now when there is plenty of time left. San Francisco has missed the playoffs the past four years.

"Whatever it is, I think it's more of an accumulation of maybe some frustrating things happening because we're right there and we're not able to get the job done," Chapman said. "... It sucks when it looks like it's sloppy baseball and we're making some sloppy mistakes that kind of shot us in the foot last year and was one of the reasons why we probably weren't able to finish as strong. But I don't think it's going to be something that's going to be the story of our season by any means."

After his ejection, Vitello offered a long explanation to what had upset him. The former University of Tennessee coach regularly shares stories from his experiences in the college ranks.

"I'm sure he got it exactly technically right," Vitello said postgame Sunday. "It's just a play I've got a lot of history for. A little frustrated about something else that occurred in the game. … Got a ton of history with that play. Lost a game to Lipscomb on that play, lost the game to (Oklahoma State coach) Frank Anderson and a Big 12 championship on that play. The difference between the two that I'm talking about, and I can talk about others, is the runner in Frank's instance — and I've called his team cheaters — completely interfered with the throwing lane for the pitcher. So again, umpires are held accountable by what the rules are, and they enforce those rules."

Several of his players and coaches have said dating to spring training how much they appreciate the passion, energy and approach Vitello takes.

From Day 1, Vitello acknowledged he would be learning on the fly from the dugout's top step and there would be plenty of ups and downs.

"Listen, Tony's great, I like Tony, he's cool," said center fielder Harrison Bader, who began the series batting .118 (4 for 34) with a home run and determined to get on track. "At the major league level, a little different in terms of the fans and the speed but he won at a really high level in the SEC. It's the same game, so he's familiar to winning and what it looks like to help players win and what that feeling looks like and how to maintain it. So he's in the right spot."

The Wolverines captured the second NCAA title in school history and its first since 1989.

Elliot Cadeau led the Wolverines with 19 points, including the team's first 3, which came 7:04 into the second half. The second, from freshman Trey McKenney, came with 1:50 left and felt like a dagger, giving the Wolverines a nine-point lead.

To no one's surprise, UConn fought to the finish — Solo Ball banked in a 3 to cut it to four with 37 seconds left — and after two missed free throws, UConn's Alex Karaban (17 points) barely grazed the rim on a 3 that would've cut the deficit to one with 17 seconds left.

Not until McKenney sank two free throws to bring Michigan's shooting from the line to 25 for 28 for the night could the Wolverines (37-3) kick off the celebration.

"Nobody cared about stats the whole season. Nobody cared about nothing but winning," Cadeau said from the trophy presentation stage amid a confetti-strewn court.

The game had a 1950s feel to it.

"If you'd told me we would shoot it this poorly and (be) dominated on the glass and still find a way to win, I don't know if I would have believed you," Michigan head coach Dusty May said. "This team just found a way all season."

Michigan had to fight for everything. The Wolverines missed their first 11 shots from 3, finished 2 for 15 from there and won despite the struggles of its best player, Yaxel Lendeborg. Ailing with a hurt knee and foot that kept him from elevating, the graduate transfer from UAB finished with 13 points on 4-for-13 shooting. 

Truth be told, it wasn't anyone's prettiest night.

UConn's hopes at becoming the first team since John Wooden's UCLA dynasty to win three titles in four seasons came up short, done in by massive foul trouble and its own terrible shooting.

Coach Dan Hurley's team shot 30.9% from the floor and missed its first 11 shots from 3 in the second half.

Braylon Mullins, the hero of the Duke win that put UConn in the Final Four, finished 4 of 17, though he made a pair of late 3s that kept the game in reach.

UConn (35-5) covered the 6 1/2-point spread, and Hurley kept his players out on the court to watch the podium get set up for the presentation of a trophy heading not to Storrs, but Ann Arbor.

About the only consolation: The Huskies clogged things up, slowed things down and made Michigan beat them at their game.

Michigan had become the first team to score 90-plus points in five straight tournament games in the same season. With the help of 7-foot-3 center Aday Mara, the defense amassed eight or more blocks in the first four games of the tournament — the first time that's happened since blocks became an official stat in the 1980s.

The Wolverines had only three swats against Arizona, but that was a 91-73 win in a game that was supposed to be the best of the tournament but turned into something else.

Style points aside, this was a championship built from outside — the best team money could buy.

All five Wolverines starters played college ball elsewhere, and all but Nimari Burnett came to Ann Arbor this season. That's the product of the transfer portal that May has shown no reluctance to use. His ability to form a makeshift group into a winner is still the value of a coach and a culture.

"They might be still calling us mercenaries but we're the hardest-working team," Lendenborg said. "We're the best in college basketball and we'll be one of the greatest ever."

The Ann Arbor Police Department said it had a large presence "as thousands of fans celebrated" the win.

It added that "two people were arrested and Ann Arbor Fire extinguished more than 40 fires in connection with the post-game celebration. Multiple street signs were also damaged during the celebration. There were no serious injuries reported."

He was looking to do the same on the last possession with Golden State down a point, but missed a long, straightaway 3-pointer.

No matter the result, Curry is back and healthy at long last for the Warriors after a right knee injury, and everyone at Chase Center celebrated right along with him in Golden State's 117-116 loss to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

Coming off the bench in the regular season for the first time in 14 years, Curry was greeted by a warm standing ovation and greetings on the big screen — he also expressed his gratitude on video — when he entered with 4:54 left in the opening quarter.

He immediately passed off for an assist on a dunk by Charles Bassey, who just signed with Golden State earlier in the day. Curry made a 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining in the period.

Curry finished with 29 points on 11-for-21 shooting and became the 26th player in NBA history with 9,000 field goals. He was 5 of 10 on 3s, playing 26 minutes.

Fans chanted "We want Steph! We want Steph!" during the fourth quarter, seemingly unaware of his minutes restriction.

This marked the first time he has come off the bench in a regular-season game since March 7, 2012, against Memphis. He last was a reserve in Game 4 of the first round of the 2022 playoffs during the Warriors' last championship run.

Curry's pregame warmup is always a must-see show long before the main event, and the cheers were extra loud for his latest session now that he's finally back on the floor.

He was cheered pregame, too, and set to play about 25 minutes following a two-plus-month absence and 27 straight games sidelined because of a right knee injury.

He signed a few autographs after his shooting routine then missed his full-court heave before disappearing into the tunnel.

"He's one of the most beloved players in league history, Bay Area history in any sport and I think a long absence like this reminds everybody how lucky we are to see him, to watch him, to coach him, to play with him," coach Steve Kerr said. "So tonight's a special night because we're reminded of how lucky we've been and how lucky we still are."

Kerr said before the game that it's still unclear how many of the remaining games Curry will play given Golden State has five contests in eight days with a back-to-back the rest of the way — and the expectation is he wouldn't play on consecutive nights.

"We're going to manage it accordingly. The plan for tonight would be shorter bursts and we'll see on the minutes," Kerr said. "But first game back he's not playing 48 minutes."

The schedule will be determined by how Curry feels and input from Vice President of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini.

Rockets coach Ime Udoka knew Houston would have its hands full with No. 30 back.

"One of the best movers in the game. Four other guys at a time are concentrated on getting shots for him, so that's not just one guy, and then does a good job in general with all the screens, off-ball actions, and pick-and-rolls," Udoka said. "It's a team effort. We need to be locked in on that, and obviously we've seen him enough and know some things that have hurt us in the past, and we need to prepare for that with him coming back."

Curry scrimmaged several times this past week to test his injured right knee, and he said Saturday it was never a consideration to shut it down for the rest of the season. Kerr hoped to have Curry and younger brother Seth finally play together.

When Stephen Curry re-entered the game at the 6:19 mark of the second quarter, they did — the first time brothers played together in Warriors franchise history, according to Elias. Seth Curry also has been injured much of the season.

Seth Curry did appear in six preseason games for Golden State in 2013 then played for the team's G League Santa Cruz Warriors that year — with the brothers playing all of 100 seconds together during the fourth quarter of two games during that '13 preseason.

Kerr had said Saturday that Stephen Curry was expected to play for the first time since Jan. 30 against Detroit, though the Warriors listed him as questionable.

Curry warmed up in Kevin Durant's "Scoring Title" Nike KD 4s with former teammate Durant playing for the Rockets.

After Saturday's practice, Curry said dealing with the pain is part of his "new normal" and the offseason will require a significant reset.

The 38-year-old Curry initially expected to be playing right after the All-Star break, but the recovery was prolonged by some difficult moments when he would feel good, push hard then pay for it the following day.

The Warriors (36-42) lost their fourth straight game. They were 13-25 this season without Curry — including 9-18 during the recent stretch with him sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome.

Stephen Curry was set to play about 25 minutes against Houston on Sunday night in his return from a two-plus-month absence because of a right knee injury.

Coach Steve Kerr said before the game that it's still unclear how many of the remaining games Curry will play given Golden State has five contests in eight days with a back-to-back the rest of the way — and the expectation is he wouldn't play on consecutive nights.

"We're going to manage it accordingly. The plan for tonight would be shorter bursts and we'll see on the minutes," Kerr said. "But first game back he's not playing 48 minutes."

The schedule will be determined by how Curry feels and input from Vice President of Player Health and Performance Rick Celebrini.

Curry scrimmaged several times this past week to test his injured right knee, and he said Saturday it was never a consideration to shut it down for the rest of the season. Kerr hoped to have Curry and younger brother Seth finally play together.

Kerr had said Saturday that Curry was expected to play for the first time since Jan. 30 against Detroit, though the Warriors listed him as questionable.

"He's scheduled to play," Kerr said pregame Sunday.

After Saturday's practice, Curry said dealing with the pain is part of his "new normal" and the offseason will require a significant reset.

The 38-year-old Curry initially expected to be playing right after the All-Star break, but the recovery was prolonged by some difficult moments when he would feel good, push hard then pay for it the following day.

Curry leads the Warriors in scoring with 27.2 points per game and it has been frustrating.

The Warriors (36-41) had lost three straight games overall and were 13-25 this season without Curry — including 9-18 during this stretch with him sidelined by patellofemoral pain syndrome.

The Bruins (37-1) dismantled South Carolina 79-51 in the 2026 NCAA National Championship Game to earn their first title since joining in 1981. It was their 31st straight win after an early-season loss to the Texas Longhorns, whom they defeated in the Final Four to earn a berth in the national championship.

The emphatic victory capped off a dominant run through March Madness for the Bruins, led by 6-foot-7 senior center Lauren Betts, who led the team in scoring in four of their six games. She had 14 points and 11 rebounds during Sunday's historic win.

UCLA put its foot on the gas early, surviving an injury scare to Betts, who received treatment on the bench after appearing to be hit in the throat. It finished the first quarter on an 8-0 run to take a 21-10 lead into the second.

The Gamecocks held their own in the second, but were still outscored 15-13 as the Bruins took a 36-23 lead at the half.

The Bruins, however, put the game – and the trophy – virtually out of reach in the third quarter by outscoring the Gamecocks by 16.

UCLA senior Gabriela Jaquez, whose older brother Jaime played for the Bruins' men's basketball team and is currently a member of the Miami Heat, led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting, tacking on 10 rebounds to give her a national championship game double-double.

"I knew we were going to do it. Coming to UCLA, we all set out for a goal, and I imagined this moment," Jaquez said after the final whistle. "I imagined it so many times, and I am just so, so proud."

South Carolina's (36-4) season ended with a disappointing flop in the championship game. Dawn Staley's squad finishes as the runner-up for the second-straight year after winning its third title in program history in the 2023-2024 season.

UCLA's first-ever NCAA title comes after what's been a steady build-up for head coach Cori Close in her 15 seasons at the helm. Despite missing the NCAA Tournament in three of her first four years, she quickly turned UCLA into a perennial postseason team, making it in nine of the next 10 seasons.

"It's immeasurably more than I could ask or imagine," Close said following the game. "It's beyond my wildest dreams."

Coach Close was mentored by the great John Wooden, who led the UCLA Bruins to 10 National Championships, and adopted his well-known "Pyramid of Success," which she says she has taught her own players. 

"In the end, banners hang in gyms and rings collect dust, and the only thing that lasts is who they become and who they impact. And so, I will always value that most," Close said while speaking with CBS LA's Jaime Maggio. "Being at the top of the mountain doesn't mean anything unless you're sharing it in real genuine relationships and authenticity about having real pride in the place you represent."

Last season, the Bruins advanced to their first Final Four, where they fell to eventual champion Connecticut. They returned four of five starters for 2025-2026, adding senior Utah-transfer Gianna Kneepkins to the roster and moving senior Angela Dugalic to the primary option off the bench.

UCLA officials say that a championship celebration is scheduled for Wednesday night at Pauley Pavilion. Details for the free event are still being ironed out, officials said.