SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Stephen Curry had 28 points, nine rebounds and six assists, Jimmy Butler scored 25 points, and the Golden State Warriors snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Phoenix Suns 119-116 on Saturday night.
Jordan Goodwin's 3-pointer with 1:10 left made it a two-point game before Butler answered on the other end with a driving layup and three-point play. Collin Gillespie missed baseline 3 with 18 seconds remaining and Curry converted a pair of free throws before Gillespie connected from deep with 10 seconds to go — and Curry scored again to go 5 of 6 for 14 points in the fourth quarter.
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Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) goes up to dunk against Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks to shoot against Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) looks to shoot against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gestures toward a referee after being ejected as Moses Moody (4) restrains him during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Devin Booker scored 38 points for the Suns. Dillon Brooks scored 22 points and made his first five shots as Phoenix was a sizzling 70.8% in the opening quarter for a 44-32 lead, but dealt with foul trouble late.
Draymond Green was ejected with 10:39 left in the first half following consecutive technical fouls — the first for shoving Gillespie from behind then another apparently for continued arguing — and coach Steve Kerr also received a technical for protesting the ejection.
Green received his first technical for shoving Gillespie from behind moments after blocking his drive on the other end that started the heated back-and-forth. Then Green’s second technical apparently came for continued arguing, as he carried on despite efforts by teammates, Warriors officials and security to push him away.
This game quickly became the second straight testy meeting between the teams after Phoenix escaped with a 99-98 win at home Thursday. Brooks was called for a Flagrant 1 foul with 38.3 seconds left in that one when he hit Curry in the stomach after a 3-point attempt.
Brooks was booed at every chance by the fans in Chase Center two nights later, then Warriors forward Trayce Jackson-Davis made a rough offensive foul on Brooks late in the second quarter that sent the Suns star hard to the floor.
Golden State guard Buddy Hield had his streak of 199 straight regular-season games played snapped. Teammate Jonathan Kuminga missed the game with an illness.
The Suns return to the desert to host the Lakers on Tuesday night while the Warriors host Orlando on Monday.
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) drives to the basket against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns forward Oso Ighodaro (11) goes up to dunk against Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) shoots against Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) looks to shoot against Golden State Warriors guard Will Richard (3) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Phoenix Suns forward Dillon Brooks (3) looks to shoot against Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) gestures toward a referee after being ejected as Moses Moody (4) restrains him during the first half of an NBA basketball game against the Phoenix Suns in San Francisco, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Australia retained the Ashes with two matches to spare after paceman Mitchell Starc took three of the last four wickets to blunt England's defiant comeback Sunday in a tense fifth-day finish to the third cricket test.
Australia started Day 5 needing four wickets to retain the Ashes, with England resuming at 6-207 and still 228 runs away from the victory target of 435 that would have required a world record to achieve.
“Feels pretty awesome,” Australia captain Pat Cummins said of the 82-run win at the Adelaide Oval. “We got it done.”
Cummins missed the first two tests while recovering from a back problem, with Steve Smith leading the team to two eight-wicket wins. Smith was ruled out of the third test about a half-hour before the toss because of vertigo.
“You can’t really rush things here in Australia, it doesn't work that way,” Cummins said of the test going the distance. “It’s a good old fashioned grind a lot of the time and, yeah, I love the toil from all the guys today.
“It got a little bit closer than I would have liked, but pretty happy.”
Starc took the only wicket in the morning session — Jamie Smith running out of patience and caught by Cummins for 60 — as England piled on 102 runs.
England's rally had narrowed the Ashes equation at lunch on the last day: Australia needed three wickets to clinch the old urn in Adelaide and England needed 126 runs to keep the five-match series alive.
No team had scored more than West Indies’ 418 (in a three-wicket win over Australia in 2003) in the fourth innings to win a test.
But England skipper Ben Stokes later said he felt like his team were “on for another heist” in the morning session and was confident of achieving a record total.
With England's lower-order doggedly mounting pressure and Australia's attack missing veteran spinner Nathan Lyon, who limped off the field with an injured hamstring, the leading bowler in the series delivered for the hosts.
Starc, who was voted player of the match in Australia's eight-wicket wins in Perth and Brisbane, took the wickets of Will Jacks (47) — spectacularly caught by Marnus Labuschagne, who dived from slip in front of the wicketkeeper — and Jofra Archer (3).
That left Scott Boland to finish it off. He dismissed Josh Tongue (1) and left Brydon Carse stranded on 39 as England was all out for 352.
Australian wicketkeeper Alex Carey was voted player of the match after posting a home ground hundred in the first innings, a half-century in the second innings in a 162-run stand with Travis Head, who top-scored with 170, and completing seven dismissals for the test.
England captain Ben Stokes said he was happier with the resilience shown by his team this week, despite ultimately surrendering the series in 11 days.
“This is going to hurt quite a bit,” Stokes said. “Obviously that dream that we came here with is now over, which is obviously incredibly disappointing.
“But look, we’ve got two more (tests) to go on and that’s where the focus needs to switch to now.”
A day after swinging the momentum back in Australia’s favor with a three-wicket burst, veteran spinner Lyon hurt his right hamstring diving to cut off a boundary in the outfield and was ruled out of the remainder of the match. He got up and clutched the back of his right leg before walking off with a trainer when England was 249-6.
Domestic media noted Sunday that it had been 5,462 days since England last won a test match in Australia — dating back to January 2011.
Since then, the Australians have won the series Down Under 5-0, 4-0, 4-0 and are now 3-0.
Melbourne will host the Boxing Day test starting Dec. 26 and Sydney will host the fifth test in the New Year.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australia's Mitchell Starc, right, celebrates the wicket of England's Jofra Archer with his teammates during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Will Jacks reacts as leaves the field after losing his wicket during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Mitchell Starc, right, celebrates the wicket of England's Will Jacks, left, during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Jamie Smith bats during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Jamie Smith, left, and Will Jacks walk from the field as rain delays play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Jake Weatherald fields near the boundary during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Nathan Lyon walks from the field during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Jamie Smith bats during play on the final day of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Sunday, Dec. 21, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
