NEW YORK -- Stephen Curry took a bounce pass from Jimmy Butler on the edge of the Brooklyn Nets' half-court logo with his back to the Golden State Warriors' basket and three seconds left in the first half Thursday.

Without taking a dribble, Curry launched a turnaround 3-pointer between two Nets defenders from 38 feet that hit the bottom of the net. Even by Curry's standards of burying ridiculous 3-point bombs, the degree of difficulty on this one was high.

Seeing that the shot went in with 0.3 left, Curry ran down the court with his hand raised and straight into the tunnel toward the Warriors locker room.

Curry put on a show in Brooklyn as he scored 40 points and hit seven 3-pointers to help Golden State erase a 22-point deficit and beat the Nets 121-119 before 18,413 at Barclays Center.

By the end, just like at Madison Square Garden in a Warriors' 114-102 win over the Knicks on Tuesday night, much of the road crowd buzzed and roared like a Warriors' home crowd for Curry.

"Most people can make that shot, luckily," Warriors teammate Draymond Green said. "[But] we all knew that shot was going in. It really changes the momentum. I think that's the second time, this road trip, that he's had one changed the momentum like that. It's a big, big momentum shifter for us going into the locker room."

The Warriors completed a five-game East Coast trip 4-1 with their only loss coming in Philadelphia with Butler out because of back spasms. During much of this trip, the Warriors rode Curry's hot hand. He started the stretch in Orlando with a 56-point explosion and 12 3-pointers that was highlighted by a 56-foot running halftime-beating heave near the Magic half-court logo in a 121-115 win.

"I just think the degree of difficulty is so crazy," Green said of Curry's offensive outings on this trip. "You could see a guy score 40 points and be like, 'Man, he had a good game.' But when you see him score 40 points, it is totally different because ... he's literally putting on a show.

"It's like you went and watch a Cirque du Soleil or something. It is not your typical show you're going to watch. It's a whole bunch of different acrobatics that go into it."

On this trip, which included stops in Orlando, Philadelphia, his hometown of Charlotte, Manhattan and Brooklyn, Curry's fans came out and made their voices heard. And Curry tried not to disappoint, averaging 34.8 points and 7.8 assists while hitting 32 3-pointers during that span. He is 11 3-pointers away from extending his record of most 3-pointers made in a career to 4,000.

"Steph just had an incredible trip, put on a show in every city," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "What he does, it's amazing. Just the show that he puts on, the joy that he brings to so many fans who are coming to see him play in all these different cities. Every fan base loves Steph and there's a reason he's an incredible performer."

This one in Brooklyn, though, required a big comeback. The Nets opened the game with a 27-5 lead. But ever since the Warriors acquired Butler, Golden State has been playing with so much confidence.

It completed its second comeback from a deficit of 20 or greater with Butler in the lineup. Before the Butler trade, the Warriors went 1-10 when trailing by 20 or more.

With Butler in the lineup, the Warriors are 10-1 and 35-28 overall. They are in sixth place in the Western Conference standings and three games behind fifth-place Houston. Curry has been revitalized by the addition of Butler, averaging 30.3 points on 51-44-90 shooting splits since Butler's Warriors' debut on Feb. 8, according to ESPN Research.

And the highlight shots just keep coming. Curry said he does not practice the turnaround 3-pointer from the logo that he hit in Brooklyn. He admitted he was a little surprised.

"That one, it's not in the practice routine," Curry said. "But you have an idea of where you are on the court and as weird as it might sound, it was kind of a rhythm shot because you don't really have any other thought other than just try to get it off.

"It did surprise me though. That's why I just ran to the locker room."

NEW YORK -- Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green sent well wishes to New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns after the death of a family friend, but said Thursday he was just relaying what he heard when he said on his podcast that Towns didn't play for the Knicks against Golden State this week because Jimmy Butler was in the building.

Towns was listed out for personal reasons when the Warriors beat the Knicks 114-102 on Tuesday. Green, during his podcast with former NBA player Baron Davis, said that "some would say he didn't play because Jimmy was in the building."

He was referencing the tensions involving Butler and Towns when they were teammates in Minnesota and Butler was seeking a trade.

Green said on the podcast that he talked to Towns' father when he saw him at the game.

"His pops is an incredible man, but they say KAT didn't play because Jimmy came into town, and you know him and Jimmy had the infamous practice in Minnesota," Green said.

Towns rejoined the Knicks in Los Angeles for their game against the Lakers on Thursday and told reporters he had been away from the team to be with his family after the death of a friend.

"This is one of those moments where I had to be there for my family and be there for the kids that lost somebody really special to them," Towns said.

Green was not aware of that until after the Warriors' 121-119 win over Brooklyn on Thursday.

"That's unfortunate, I'm sorry to hear that. That sucks," Green said. "But my comments that I made were, you know, 'People, what I heard was this.' That's what I heard. So I do send my well wishes to him and his family.

"It's inevitable, we all experience death in one way or another, and we'll all experience it in the same way one day. So it's unfortunate, you never wish that on anybody, but 'The Draymond Green Show with Baron Davis' must go on."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Outfielder Lawrence Butler and the Athletics are in agreement on a seven-year, $65.5 million contract extension that includes a club option, sources told ESPN on Thursday night, locking up a foundational talent who was one of the best players in baseball in the second half last year.

The deal, which is pending a physical, will keep 24-year-old Butler with the A's well past their planned move to Las Vegas in 2028. Earlier in the offseason, designated hitter Brent Rooker signed a five-year, $60 million extension as well, helping solidify a core the A's hope will lead them back into playoff contention.

Butler was a revelation last year, following a short stint in 2023 during which he struggled and a difficult start to the 2024 season that prompted a demotion to Triple A in mid-May. After he returned June 18, Butler batted .291/.330/.565 with 20 home runs and 15 stolen bases over 330 plate appearances.

Primarily a right fielder, Butler will receive a deal similar to the seven-year, $63.5 million contract given last year to then-22-year-old shortstop Ezequiel Tovar by the Colorado Rockies. The average annual value of Butler's deal is the second highest for a player with one-plus year of major league service, behind only Atlanta's contract with right-hander Spencer Strider.

The A's -- who will play for the next three seasons in West Sacramento after a contentious 2024 in which they left Oakland, where they played for more than half a century -- have spent the past four months spending unlike at any point in franchise history. Before this winter, their largest guarantee on a deal was $66 million given to Eric Chavez more than 20 years ago. In addition to the contracts for Butler and Rooker, the A's reset their franchise high with a three-year, $67 million agreement for free agent right-hander Luis Severino in December. The team needed to spend significant sums over the winter to avoid a potential grievance from the players' association for not putting enough revenue-sharing money into payroll.

Whether the A's can make a run this year in the wide-open American League West depends on Butler, Severino, Rooker, center fielder JJ Bleday, catcher Shea Langeliers, left-handers Jeffrey Springs and JP Sears and All-Star closer Mason Miller. The A's, once regulars in the playoffs, last made the postseason in 2020, with owner John Fisher later drastically cutting payroll amid the move to Las Vegas.

The team is betting on Butler being a significant part of the team that moves there. The contract is guaranteed through 2031 with the club option for 2032.

The Boston Bruins continued their retooling by trading forward Justin Brazeau to the Minnesota Wild on the eve of the NHL trade deadline.

The Wild sent centers Marat Khusnutdinov and Jakub Lauko, as well as a 2026 sixth-round draft pick (originally from Boston), to the Bruins in the trade.

Brazeau, 27, has 10 goals and 10 assists in 54 games this season for the Bruins. Known for his size (6-foot-6, 227 pounds) and play around the net, he averaged 12:58 in ice time per game this season. Brazeau is an unrestricted free agent after this season who makes just $775,000 against the salary cap.

The trade reunites Lauko, 24, with the Bruins, where be played two seasons before being traded to Minnesota in June 2024. Lauko was drafted 77th overall by Boston in the 2018 NHL Draft. He had 3 goals and 3 assists in 38 games with the Wild this season, battling both hip and groin injuries.

Khusnutdinov is in his second NHL season and had 2 goals and 5 assists in 47 games for the Wild, skating 11:14 per game. He had been recently reassigned to the AHL for cap-related reasons after the Wild acquired winger Gustav Nyquist from Nashville.

Both Lauko and Khusnutdinov are restricted free agents after the season.

The Bruins are expected to be sellers before Friday's NHL trade deadline, having already traded Trent Frederic and Max Jones to the Edmonton Oilers this week. All eyes are on captain Brad Marchand, who has been in negotiations on a new contract with Boston ahead of free agency this summer while the Bruins have been listening to trade offers for the star winger.

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers is making a strong case for his third Vezina Trophy, all while joining elite company among the best goaltenders in NHL history.

Bobrovksy made 16 saves Thursday night for his second shutout in four games and his fourth of the season in a 3-0 win over Columbus. This win was the 423rd of his career, moving the 36-year-old Bobrovsky into a tie with Tony Esposito for 10th on the NHL's career list. Better yet, the 14-year veteran got to that victory total in 742 career games -- 144 fewer than Esposito's 886.

"It seems like it's always another milestone for Bobby," Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said. "We're extremely proud of him."

Bobrovsky will break that tie with his next victory. Then the Russian will trail Jacques Plante (437), Terry Sawchuk (445), Curtis Joseph (454), Henrik Lundqvist (459), Ed Belvour (484), Roberto Luongo (489), Patrick Roy (551), Marc-Andre Fleury (573) and the all-time leader Martin Brodeur's 691 wins over 1,266 games played.

Over his last three starts, Bobrovsky has three wins with two shutouts and only one goal allowed. He finished third in the Vezina voting last season and made up for that by helping the Panthers win their first Stanley Cup. He's now 9-2-0 with a .942 save percentage over his last 11 games.

Thursday's win was also Bobrovsky's 48th career shutout win, according to ESPN Research.

The Blue Jackets did what they could to pressure Bobrovsky by getting in front of him.

"I don't think we got enough action around him as far as making it difficult on him," Columbus center Boone Jenner said.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

General manager John Schneider said Wednesday that the Seattle Seahawks are exploring several trade options with star receiver DK Metcalf, who requested to be dealt a day earlier.

"Everything is in a cordinal, professional place," Schneider told Seattle Sports 710-AM. "Obviously DK has requested a trade, and we are entertaining that. We are talking to a ton of teams, taking offers, seeing what that looks like."

Schneider didn't rule out the possibility that Metcalf, who is under contract through 2025, could play for the Seahawks next season. He made it clear that if the two-time Pro Bowl selection is dealt, it will be to the team that gives Seattle the best offer and not necessarily where he wants to go.

"The thing to understand here is that our responsibility to [owner] Jody Allen, the 12s, first and foremost is doing what's absolutely best for the organization A, and then B, what's best for the player," Schneider said. "Hopefully both those things merge and it's an ideal situation. Sometimes that happens, sometimes it doesn't. Hopefully in this situation it does, and that would be great.

"But worst-case scenario, we have an amazing, explosive, powerful athlete playing receiver for us again in 2025. So we'll see where this goes."

The Seahawks and Metcalf have unsucesfully discussed an extension to the receiver's contract, which has one season and roughly $18 million remaining. Schneider was asked whether he's concerned about the possibility of Metcalf's attitude becoming a problem if he's forced to play out the final year of his deal in Seattle.

"No, I think DK's a very good communicator," Schneider said. "He's a guy that understands the business. He's a buisnessman himself. I think he understands that we're going to head down this road. He understands that we're going to do what's best for the organization, and that if things don't fall the way he may want, that there's a good chance he could end up being here.

"And at that point, we all turn the corner and move forward. So that's the way it works. Through this whole process, he's been extremely professional and respectful."

The Las Vegas Raiders are among the teams the Seahawks have talked to about a possible Metcalf trade, a souce told ESPN. If Seattle does deal Metcalf, Schneider pointed to the draft as a deadline.

"You definitely want to know what's going on before draft time," he said. "Because he's such an important part of our team, the organization, the offensive philosphly that these guys want to move forward with on our new coaching staff, we want to know how we're going to compensate for his loss if he's not with us."

Schneider confirmed, as ESPN reported, that the Seahawks were upset that news of Metcalf's trade request was leaked on the same day they announced the release of fellow receiver Tyler Lockett. The organization had planned for Wednesday to be a celebration fo Lockett's 10-year run in Seattle.

"Probably not intentional, but very disappointed in the timing," he said. "We wanted this to be a very special day. We wanted it to be Tyler Lockett day ... I felt bad for Tyler. The TV's all about DK instead of Tyler Lockett. It kind of correlates with his whole career. Thus guy is one of the most underrated wide receivers in NFL history."

But Schneider was largely complimentary of Metcalf, praising his work ethic as well as his business acumen.

"He's a great worker, he's a pro, he shows up all the time, it's just really important to him," Schneider said. "And I get where he's coming from to a certain extent. He's 27 years old, he has very high expectations for himself and he should. So there's no harm, no foul. We'll get through this."

Schneider also confirmed that linebacker Ernest Jones IV, the Seahawks' top free agent, has a cleanup procedure on his knee after the season, describing it as "not much of a big deal." He said Jones has been working out at the team's facility.

"He's here getting ready," Schneider said. "We continue to have conversations with his representatives, and hopefully we can knock this out pretty soon."

Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. has disclosed that the latest contract extension proposal his representatives presented to the team was significantly lower than Juan Soto's deal with the New York Mets, falling short of $600 million.

Negotiations between Guerrero and the Blue Jays to secure a contract extension before the start of spring training were unsuccessful, setting the stage for the 25-year-old to enter free agency in November.

In an interview with ESPN's Enrique Rojas and Ernesto Jerez, Guerrero clarified the details of the negotiation process and refuted claims that his salary expectations were comparable to the 15-year, $765 million contract the Mets awarded Soto during the offseason.

"It's much less than Soto. We're talking about many fewer millions than Soto, more than a hundred million less. ... It was the same number of years [as Soto's contract], but it didn't reach [$600 million]. The last number we gave them as a counteroffer didn't reach 600," Guerrero said.

"I know the business. I lowered the salary demands a bit, but I also lowered the number of years ... I'm looking for 14 [years]. I would like 14, 15, even 20 if they give them to me, but doing it the right way."

Following the breakdown in negotiations, Guerrero emphasized his commitment to focusing on the upcoming season, the final year of his current contract with the Blue Jays.

"There was an exchange [of salary figures]. The meetings lasted until the last day of the deadline but they [the Blue Jays and Guerrero's agents] couldn't reach an agreement on the numbers. But as I've always said, just because we couldn't reach an agreement, I'm not going to change the way I work. I have to keep working," he added.

In the current spring training, Guerrero is batting a .412 average with a 1.121 OPS, one home run and three RBIs in seven games.

Information from ESPN's Jeff Passan, Enrique Rojas and Juan Recio was used in this report.