Sources: Warriors' Curry expected to return Sunday vs. Rockets - ESPN

SAN FRANCISCO — Following two successful scrimmages, Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is expected to get official clearance for a Sunday return to the lineup after missing the previous 27 games with a persistent right knee issue, league sources told ESPN.

This absence lasted longer than Curry initially anticipated. He left the Warriors' loss to the Detroit Pistons on Jan. 30 because of pain and swelling in his right knee. In the two months since, he experienced numerous setbacks when attempting to increase his workload in an effort to get back on the floor.

But the knee has responded well over the past few weeks and, after Curry competed in two 5-on-5scrimmages this week at the team's San Francisco facility, he has cleared the necessary medical hurdles. He will practice with the team on Saturday and is expected to be in the lineup on Sunday against the Houston Rockets.

The Warriors are 23-16 with Curry on the floor this season, but 13-25 in the 38 games he has missed. That 36-41 record has them sitting in 10th place in the Western Conference, meaning they'll have to win two play-in games in mid-April just to fight their way into the playoffs as the eighth seed and a likely first-round matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Despite what has felt like a lost cause — Curry's co-star, Jimmy Butler, tore his ACL in January — Curry has remained motivated behind the scenes to work his way back and return in time to give the franchise a boost in spirit to close out a turbulent season, even if championship hopes are unrealistic.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said last week that Curry would need a «runway» of games to generate his rhythm and increase his workload in time for the consequential play-in games. They have five