Stephen Curry finally returned to the Warriors’ lineup after a 27-game absence on Sunday, and the two-time NBA MVP almost led his team to a vital win. Golden State narrowly lost to Houston, as Curry missed the game-winning three-point attempt at the buzzer.
Despite dropping their fourth consecutive match, the mood around the Bay Area has improved because their franchise player is back. With four games left in the regular season, it’s all about ramping up Curry’s fitness ahead of the play-in tournament, where they hope to defy the NBA 2026 odds and make noise in the postseason.
The same can’t be said for Los Angeles and Chicago, as these two big-market teams have gone through a lot lately. The Lakers have lost their two stars to serious injuries, while the Bulls have made headlines for the wrong reasons.
Here are some of the top NBA 2026 news, courtesy of SBOTOP.
Curry gives the Warriors a sliver of hope
Stephen Curry almost led the Warriors to a home win against the Rockets on Sunday. In his first game back with the team after enduring a nagging knee injury, he came off the bench and posted 29 points (team-high), four assists, and five three-pointers on 11-for-21 shooting from the field in 26 minutes.
The 38-year-old guard actually got off to a lacklustre start when he subbed in for his brother, Seth Curry, with less than five minutes left in the opening period, with a wild miss and a turnover after being called for a travelling violation. But from then on, Curry played the final six minutes of the first half and started to build momentum, scoring seven points.
After the halftime break, head coach Steve Kerr decided to play Curry long enough, which paid dividends. Curry scored 11 points in almost eight minutes in the third quarter and added another 11 in the fourth period, helping the Warriors come back from 10 points down in the final five minutes before missing the game-winning shot.
After the loss, Kerr indicated that Curry will re-enter the starting lineup at some point in the near future, as the Warriors prepare for the play-in against either the Clippers or Blazers. If Curry returns to his otherworldly form, Golden State will fancy their chances of taking the eighth and final playoff berth in the Western Conference.
Lakers suffer double whammy on the injury front
LeBron James has had his share of bad luck throughout his illustrious NBA career. However, none might be worse than being tasked with carrying the Lakers in the upcoming postseason as a 41-year-old after it was confirmed that co-stars Luka Doncic (hamstring) and Austin Reaves (oblique) are out for several weeks.
Doncic and Reaves sustained their injuries during the Lakers’ embarrassing 139-96 road loss to the Thunder on Thursday. The backcourt tandem missed the team’s next game against the Mavericks on Sunday, which they lost 134-128. James had 30 points, nine rebounds, and 15 assists on 12-for-22 shooting from the field in 39 minutes in the close defeat.
At the time of writing, Doncic flew to Spain on Monday to expedite his return to the court, while Reaves stayed in the United States for his rehab. The Lakers have also missed the services of Marcus Smart for the seventh straight match, as the former Defensive Player of the Year continues to recover from an ankle injury. Moreover, James (foot) was downgraded to questionable for the Thunder match.
The Lakers fell to fourth in the Western Conference and are fighting for position. They will face the Thunder, Warriors, Suns, and Jazz in their last four regular season games.
Bulls undergo major front office change
With just one week left in the regular season, the Bulls decided to part ways with president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas and general manager Marc Eversley after six years of service. Throughout their tenure, Chicago had a 224-254 win-loss record, with their lone winning season being in 2021-22, where they eventually lost to Milwaukee in the first round. The team currently sits at 29-49 and 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Many fans believe the firing was overdue because Karnisovas and Eversley have had their share of baffling roster decisions, including stockpiling guards during the past trade deadline at the expense of their frontcourt, with Jaden Ivey’s recent crashout being the final straw.
However, despite Karnisovas and Eversley’s departures, the Bulls reportedly remain high on head coach Billy Donovan, who has been with the team since 2020 and is a popular figure among players and staff.
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