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LOS ANGELES, United States — Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and Aaron Gordon added 25 as the Denver Nuggets edged the Los Angeles Clippers 112-110 in an overtime thriller to open their NBA play-off series on Sunday.

Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic added nine rebounds, 12 assists and three steals for the Nuggets, who erased an early 15-point deficit to grab the win in game one of the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.

Russell Westbrook came up big on both ends of the floor, his basket with 3:37 left in the fourth quarter giving the Nuggets their first lead since the first period.

After a flurry of lead changes Westbrook drilled a three-pointer that put Denver up 98-96 with 24.1 seconds left in regulation.

James Harden tied it, and the Clippers stymied the Nuggets on a final inbounds attempt to send it to the extra session -- which Gordon opened with a dunk.

Denver wouldn't trail again and took a 108-104 lead with 59.8 seconds left when Jokic found Christian Braun for a three-pointer.

Their lead was at three points when Westbrook broke up a Clippers inbounds attempt, and Jokic sealed it at the free-throw line.

Harden led the Clippers with 32 points. Kawhi Leonard added 27 and Ivica Zubac had 21, but it was the Nuggets -- who ended the regular season amid turmoil after sacking coach Michael Malone with three games remaining -- who prevailed.

"Incremental steps to win a basketball game," said interim Nuggets coach David Adelman. "So it wasn't pretty from either team, but you've just got to make enough plays to win."

The Indiana Pacers romped to a 117-98 victory over Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks in their Eastern Conference series opener.

Pascal Siakam scored 25 points to lead six players to score in double figures for th Pacers, who led by as many as 28 points on their home floor.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo led all scorers with 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds -- but he had little support from his Bucks teammates, the remaining starters combining for just 14 points.

Kyle Kuzma finished with zero points, zero rebounds and zero assists. Taurean Prince also went scoreless.

Myles Turner added 19 points, Andrew Nembhard scored 17 and Tyrese Haliburton scored 10 points and handed out 12 assists for the Pacers, who made the most of their opportunity against a Bucks team missing Damian Lillard -- who has been sidelined since he was diagnosed with a blood clot in his right calf in March.

ESPN reported the nine-time All-Star could be ready to play in Tuesday's game two or Friday's game three.

The games were part of a four-game slate on the opening day of the play-offs.

After the New York Knicks hosted the Detroit Pistons, the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers' 40-year-old superstar LeBron James, in the playoffs for the 18th time in his 22nd NBA season, is chasing a fifth title, his Lakers' bid enhanced by their stunning February trade for Slovenian star Luka Doncic.

AMMAN —The Jordanian Pro League took a dramatic turn this weekend as Wihdat edged Hussein Irbid 2-1, handing them their first defeat of the season and tightening the title race with only two rounds remaining.

Hussein Irbid, unbeaten all season, knew that a win would crown them champions. Wihdat, however, had other plans determined to keep their title hopes alive and prove they’re still in the fight.

The match opened with high intensity, and in the 36thminute Gueye broke the deadlock for Wihdat, calmly finishing off a well- constructed move. But Hussein Irbid responded almost immediately. Sisa equalised just three minutes later, reacting quickest inside the box to make it 1-1.

Both teams continued to push for a winner, but it was Wihdat who found the breakthrough. In the 82nd minute, 23-year-old Mohannad Semreen latched onto a loose ball near the edge of the area and fired home a low strike past the keeper, sealing the victory.

Though Wihdat secured a crucial three points, the result also marked a historic moment: Hussein Irbid’s first league loss this season, after a dominant run of form.

With the win, Wihdat move to 45 points, just one behind Hussein Irbid, who remain top with 46

While Wihdat’s schedule appears slightly more favourable, Hussein Irbid still control their destiny. But after such a confident campaign, their response to this setback may define their season.

LONDON — Mikel Arteta's Arsenal side came of age as they dethroned Champions League kings Real Madrid with ease to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2009.

A commanding 3-0 first-leg victory last week, lit up by two stunning Declan Rice free-kicks, laid the foundations in London.

But a 2-1 win in the cauldron of the Santiago Bernabeu to complete the job on Wednesday was a significant milestone for Arteta's rising stars.

Arteta's only major trophy in five and a half years in charge remains the 2020 FA Cup, just months into his reign.

But the Spaniard has transformed a sleeping giant back into serial contenders for major honours.

"I sensed before I signed for the club that we were on an upwards trajectory," said Rice, who rejected the advances of Manchester City to join Arsenal for a club-record £105 million ($139 million) in 2023.

"This club is going to do special things in the coming years. We all fully believe in it, we have full trust in this manager -- he's unbelievable."

Despite never winning the competition, Arsenal were part of the Champions League furniture during Arsene Wenger's reign -- between 2000 and 2017 they were ever-present in Europe's elite competition.

But when that run came to an end, they spent six seasons without Champions League football.

Slowly, Arteta rebuilt Arsenal back into a force around a core of promising talent now coming into their prime.

Not for the first time in his young career, Bukayo Saka did not let a missed penalty on the big stage affect him.

The winger's early spot-kick was saved by Thibaut Courtois, giving Madrid belief that another miraculous Champions League comeback was on for the Spanish giants.

But the England international extinguished that hope with a sumptuous dink over the giant Belgian goalkeeper 25 minutes from time to give Arsenal the lead on the night.

William Saliba's error that allowed Vinicius Junior to pull Real level tarnished an otherwise flawless display over two legs in which he shut down his French international team-mate Kylian Mbappe.

Rice 'immense' 

But even then Arsenal were unflustered and quickly snuffed out any Madrid momentum.

Full-backs Myles Lewis-Skelly and Jurrien Timber locked down the threat of Vinicius and Rodrygo Goes out wide and Gabriel Martinelli scored in stoppage time to seal the second-leg win.

Rice won the midfield battle against his England team-mate Jude Bellingham with a virtuoso performance that sealed a second man-of-the-match award in the two-legged tie.

"Tonight he was immense," said Arteta. "In the moment that the game was 50-50, he got on the ball and turned the game."

In the past two seasons, Arsenal have narrowly failed to topple all-conquering Manchester City in the Premier League title race.

They are on course to finish second for a third consecutive year as Liverpool close in on the title.

But the Champions League offers Arteta the chance to deliver the eye-catching piece of silverware that his project is still missing.

"It's such a special night for this club, it's a historic night for this club," said Rice.

"We have an objective in this competition. We want to play the best teams and we want to win this competition."

One of Arteta's former clubs as a player, Paris Saint-Germain, await in the last four of a wide-open competition.

None of the clubs remaining has won the competition for at least a decade as Barcelona face Inter Milan in the other semifinal.

"It's the third time in our history that we've done what we've just done [reaching the semifinals]," added Arteta.

"So we need to build on that. We are really hungry, we want more. It's a really young team that is very determined.

"And all these experiences, including me for sure, is going to help us a lot to try to achieve something big."

AMMAN — Holders Hussein face veterans Wihdat on Friday with both clubs eyeing the title in the penultimate week of the CFI Jordan Professional Football kicking off on the weekend.

Following Wihdat’s slump in the early stages of the Leg 1, their recent connectives wins since their new Tunisian coach Qais Yacoubi took over has given them a boost as they slashed Hussein’s lead to four points to maintain their title chances. 

With two more weeks to go, Wihdat, who last won the league in 2020, need to win their remaining matches while hoping Hussein stumble to decide the title in the final week of the competition. On the other hand, Wihdat’s defeat might likely mean Hussein will retain their title.

In other matches, Week 20 will  also see Shabab Urdun play Aqaba Thursday while it’s Faisali vs Ramtha and  Ma’an vs Mughayer Sarhan Friday and Salt vs Sarih and Ahli vs Jazira on Saturday. Two postponed matches will also be played on April 22 with Wihdat vs Mughayer Sarhan and Hussein vs Ramtha.

Ahli who have failed to score a single win in Leg 2 need to win in the last two matches to secure their league spot as Sarih, Aqaba and Ma’an also scramble to move away from the last four spots who will drop to Division 1, instead of the usual last two.

During the past week, Shabab Urdun scored a big 5-1 win over Mughayer Sarhan, Salt upset Ramtha 1-o, Wihdat beat Aqaba 4-0, Faisali beat Jazira 1-0 to move up to third, and Sarih scored a vital 2-0 win over Ma’an as they try to keep their league spot.

Wihdat’s Mohannad Simreen is still the top scorer with 13 goals with Sarih’s Mohannad Akash second with 12, Salt’s Mohammad Abdul Mutalleb 9 and Wihdat’s Ibrahim Sabra 8.

PARIS — Paris Saint-Germain's bid to win a first Champions League crown remains on course but the French giants only just survived a bumpy ride against Aston Villa on Tuesday as old ghosts almost came back to haunt them.

Luis Enrique's side have won plaudits for the thrilling way they have played in recent months and went into the second leg of their quarter-final on a run of one defeat in 30 matches.

That single loss came at home to Liverpool in the first leg of the last 16 and was overturned a week later at Anfield, before they beat Villa 3-1 at the Parc des Princes with an outstanding performance.

So when they found themselves 2-0 up before the half-hour mark in Birmingham on Tuesday, breakaway goals by full-backs Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes putting them 5-1 ahead on aggregate, the tie seemed over with PSG cruising towards the last four.

Then they switched off, allowing their Premier League opponents to pull one back before half-time and then score two goals in three minutes early in the second half through John McGinn and Ezri Konsa.

With the visitors rocking, Villa needed only one more goal to force extra time, and they might have got it but for some big saves from PSG goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma and a crucial late block by Willian Pacho.

"I think the intensity levels dropped when it got to 2-0. We need to cut out these little errors for the semifinals because you can pay a heavy price," captain Marquinhos told broadcaster Canal Plus.

The Brazilian knows that better than anyone.

At 30, he is the elder statesman of the youngest team left in this season's Champions League, and he has plenty of unhappy memories in the competition with the club he joined in 2013.

None could be more traumatic than the 6-1 defeat in Barcelona in 2017, which came after PSG had won 4-0 at home -- Barca went into the 88th minute needing to score three goals, and did so as PSG collapsed.

The Paris coach that night was Unai Emery, with Luis Enrique on the Barcelona bench. Fast forward eight years and the two men were facing off again, with the latter now in charge of PSG.

"You can never be over-confident, because a football match can change in an instant," Luis Enrique acknowledged after Tuesday's game.

Whether it has been complacency or just nerves, PSG have had other disastrous collapses in Europe, including against Manchester United in 2019 and Real Madrid in 2022.

Four semis in six years 

The difference this time is that they held on to go through, and can now look forward to a semifinal against either Real Madrid or Arsenal.

"We can savour this because it is always difficult to get through to the Champions League semi-finals. It is the second consecutive year and we are very happy," added Luis Enrique.

A year ago, PSG lost to Borussia Dortmund in the semis. Kylian Mbappe has since departed, but Luis Enrique has succeeded in making the Qatar-backed side stronger without him, Tuesday's second half notwithstanding.

"There were lots of doubts about the team but I think the team is even better than last year and we will fight for every trophy right to the end," said the coach.

This is PSG's fourth Champions League semifinal in six seasons, the only two years in which they failed to get to the last four in that time coming in 2022 and 2023.

Those were the years in which they had Lionel Messi alongside Neymar and Mbappe in attack.

The superstar approach did not deliver the success they hoped for, and the current side is undoubtedly more impressive.

They have not lost a domestic game since last May, have already clinched the Ligue 1 title and are through to the French Cup final.

However, PSG are still not finding it easy to make the step up in continental competitions.

Tuesday's defeat was their fifth in 14 Champions League matches this season, and their 10th loss in 26 games in Europe since the beginning of the last campaign.

Villa are the fourth Premier League team to beat PSG after Newcastle United, Arsenal and Liverpool. And Arsenal could be up again next.

BARCELONA — World No.2 Carlos Alcaraz came back from a break down in the second set to defeat Ethan Quinn 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) and reach the Barcelona Open last 16 on Tuesday.

The home favourite, who triumphed at the Monte Carlo Masters last week, stormed through the first set but Quinn, ranked 126th, battled valiantly in the second

Alcaraz has endured an inconsistent start to the year, crashing out of the Miami Open at the first hurdle in March, as he prepares for his French Open title defence.

The 22-year-old is aiming for a third triumph on the clay in Barcelona, after lifting the trophy in 2022 and 2023. He was unable to participate in the last edition because of injury.

"Last year it was very painful not to be here, so I am very happy to be able to come back and play here again, and more so to win," Alcaraz told TVE.

"I made some mistakes, I found it hard to maintain [the right] level, but I am happy to have solved the problems that came in the second set, and to end up winning in two sets."

Alcaraz saved all five break points he faced in the first set, breaking Quinn in the third and fifth games for a 5-1 lead.

The Spaniard failed to convert a set point in the seventh game but did so at the third time of asking on his serve after opening up a triple set point.

The second set was topsy-turvy, with both players exchanging breaks on three occasions, forcing a tie-break

Alcaraz saved a set point before dispatching Quinn with a drop shot to claim victory.

Earlier, defending Barcelona Open champion Casper Ruud sailed into the last 16 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Daniel Elahi Galan.

The world number 10, targeting his first trophy of the season, blew away his Colombian opponent hitting 25 winners and without facing a break point.

Norwegian Ruud put heavy pressure on Galan's serve before securing the only break of the first set in the 10th game.

In the second set Ruud broke for a 4-2 lead and served it out.

"I'm happy to be back in Barcelona and get a straight-sets win," said Ruud.

"One year ago, I had one of the best weeks of my life, so the memories come back."

France's Arthur Fils beat Spaniard Pablo Carreno Busta 7-6 (8/6), 6-3, while last year's runner-up Stefanos Tsitsipas crushed giant American Reilly Opelka 6-2, 6-2.

PARIS — The USA and Japan became the final teams to book their place at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals with 2-1 victories over Slovakia and Canada respectively on Sunday.

USA took an unassailable 2-0 lead against Slovakia in Group C after the two singles rubbers in Bratislava, before the hosts claimed the doubles on a retirement.

Earlier in Tokyo, victory in the deciding doubles rubber put Japan top of Group A and meant they and the USA will be heading to Shenzhen in September to join hosts China, defending champions Italy and fellow qualifying group winners Ukraine, Spain, Great Britain and Kazakhstan.

Hailey Baptiste got the Americans off to a flyer against last year's runners-up in the first singles rubber, beating Renata Jamrichova 6-3, 6-4 in one hour and 29 minutes.

Bernarda Pera then held her nerve to book the USA's place in China this autumn with a 7-6 (7/2), 7-5 victory against Slovakian No. 1 Rebecca Sramkova.

"Honestly, I'm so overwhelmed by the emotions, so happy," Pera said.

"This has been one of the best weeks ever. I had so much fun with the team; the girls are amazing, I got so much support from all of them and I'm super happy."

Slovakia picked up a consolation point in the doubles when American Asia Muhammad was forced to retire through illness when trailing 0-3 in the first set to Tereza Mihalikova and Mia Pohankova.

'Not the end' 

In Group A, Canada and Japan had both blanked Romania 3-0 in their opening matches, setting up the head-to-head finale which was played out in front of a noisy Tokyo crowd.

The Canadians made the better start with Victoria Mboko edging Ena Shibahara over three sets, 6-4, 6-7 (8/10), 7-5.

Moyuka Uchijima then levelled the tie when she breezed through the second match against Marina Stakusic, winning 6-3, 6-3.

That left everything on the doubles where Japan could call on the experienced Shuko Aoyama, now 37, and Shibahara against Rebecca Marino and Kayla Cross.

The Japanese took the first set 6-3 but the Canadians hit back strongly to lead 5-1 in the second, at which point they wobbled, losing four games in a row.

They held their nerve to break again and take the set 7-5 but were immediately in trouble in the decider when Marino was broken.

As pressure mounted and errors crept into the Canadians' game, the Japanese pair turned the screw to see out a 6-2 final set which qualified them for the China showpiece.

"I'm really happy that I got the doubles done today," said Shibahara.

"This is not the end," said Japanese captain Ai Sugiyama. "We're really looking forward to go to Shenzhen.

"It feels great. The first match wasn't our way, the second match, Moyuka played really great, and then the doubles could go either way and we fought for every point. We got through and it was an unbelievable day."

The BJK Cup qualifiers featured six groups of three nations with the winners booking a ticket to the eight-team final tournament.

AMMAN — As the Jordanian Pro League CFI inches closer to its end, both Hussein Irbid and Wihdat continued their title chase in ruthless fashion on Saturday, sending a strong message to each other ahead of their highly anticipated showdown.

At  Al Hassan Stadium, league leaders Hussein Irbid made light work of Al Ahli, thrashing them 5-0 in a performance that showcased their attacking depth and hunger for the title. 

Majdi Al Attar opened the scoring early, pouncing on a defensive error and sliding it past the keeper. 

Rizq Bani Hani stole the spotlight with a confident bracefirst finishing off a sweeping counterattack, then converting a clever through ball with a calm finish.

Sisa  added the fourth, capitalising on a rebound inside the box, and the final blow came from Mohammad Abu Zureiqwho curled in a beautiful effort from outside the area to round off the five-star display.

With this result, Hussein Irbid now sit top with 46 points, remaining unbeaten and unfazed by the chasing pack.

Later that night in Aqaba, Wihdat answered back and in same style

The Green Giants dismantled Shabab Al Aqaba 4-0 at Prince Mohammad Stadium, showing they’re just as hungry for the trophy.

Gueye set the tone instantly scoring in the 3rd minute after making a sharp run, finishing a precise through pass with composure.

The pressure continued to mount as Daniel Afaneh found the net in the 19th minute, scoring a great header after a well placed cross.

Just after halftime, Gueye bagged his second after a successful counter attack, making it 3-0. 

The final goal came from Ibrahim Sabra in the 54th minute, who unleashed a fierce right-footed strike that swerved past the goalkeeper.

With this vital away win, Wihdat climb to 42 points, cutting Hussein Irbid’s lead back down to four points.

With only few weeks remaining, all eyes turn to their next meeting, a decisive clash at King Abdullah II Stadium in Quesmeh that could ultimately shape the fate of this year's championship.

A win for Al Hussein Irbid on Saturday will clinch the league, regardless of the results that follow.

MONTE CARLO, Principality of Monaco - Carlos Alcaraz made the best possible start to his preparations for the defence of his French Open title, burning past the Italian Lorenzo Musetti in three sets on Sunday to win his first Monte Carlo Masters.

The 22-year-old Spaniard, already a four-time Grand Slam winner, dropped the opening set but came back hard to take the next two at the cost of a single game as he cleaned up 3-6, 6-1, 6-0, albeit helped by a limping Musetti.

It marks a sixth Masters title for Alcaraz and is his most prestigious title since winning Wimbledon last year.

It was also his first win on clay since winning the French Open last season, although in mitigation he only had one tournament after that when he missed out on gold at the Paris Olympics.

"I'm just really happy to have won Monte Carlo for the first time," said Alcaraz who lost in his first match on his only previous appearance at the tournament in 2022.

"It's been a really difficult week with a lot of difficult situations.

"I'm really proud of myself, how I've dealt with everything. It's been a really difficult month for me on the court and outside.

"Coming here and seeing how the whole hard work has paid off, I'm really happy."

Alcaraz chose not to expand on his difficulties but they may be eased partly by this win which will lift him up to No 2 in the world rankings, ahead of Alexander Zverev but still behind the suspended Jannik Sinner.

'Intense' -

However, this was no easy win in chilly conditions against a man playing in his first Masters 1000 final after taking down two top 10 players, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Alex de Minaur, to get there.

Musetti dropped his opening service but broke back straight away and took the fight to Alcaraz who, in spite of the odd blissful winner, appeared at odds with his game, making six unforced errors.

The Spaniard bounced back, however, lifting his game as he galloped through the second set 6-1.

That trend continued as Musetti began to have problems with his right leg, receiving treatment when he was 0-3 in the decider.

He battled on but could not live with the intensity or physicality of Alcaraz's game.

"It is not the way I would have wanted to win a match," said Alcaraz.

"Lorenzo's been through a really tough week, long and intense matches.

"I feel sorry for him, one of the best results he has done. To end like this is not easy. Hopefully it's not serious and he's 100 per cent soon."

Some consolation for Musetti is a rise to No 11 in the rankings and the promise of more to come on the clay as the season gets underway.

"It was probably one of my best tournaments so far," said Musetti who took bronze at last year's Olympics behind Alcaraz and gold medallist Novak Djokovic.

"I'm disappointed I couldn't finish the match in the best way, for the crowd. You deserve it so I will keep going and try and come back for revenge."

Both Alcaraz and Musetti will continue their clay court preparations at the Barcelona Open next week in the build-up to the French Open at the end of May.

MONTE CARLO, Principality of Monaco — Carlos Alcaraz booked his place in the final of the Monte Carlo Masters for the first time with a dominant 7-6 (7/2), 6-4 win over fellow Spaniard Alejandro Davidovich Fokina on Saturday.

He will face Italian Lorenzo Musetti on the red clay in Sunday's final after the 13th seed fought back to beat Australian eighth seed Alex de Minaur 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4) in the second semifinal.

"I knew how well Davidovich Fokina had played in Monte Carlo so I had to be ready to fight," said Alcaraz.

Alcaraz, a four-time Grand Slam champion, is targeting his first Masters title since winning in Indian Wells last year and his first on clay since the 2024 French Open.

"It's been a long time since I've had the chance to win a title on clay and I can't wait to try my luck again here," said Alcaraz, who was beaten in the final of the Olympic tournament by Novak Djokovic in August.

"At the beginning of the week, the first tournament on clay, you have to get used to the conditions," he added.

"The ball comes different. You know, the play on clay is different...

"I'm just really happy to get the level that I wanted at the beginning of the week."

His only title this season remains the ATP 500 event in Rotterdam in February, but he appears to be enjoying his return to clay.

Alcaraz quickly became the tournament favourite following early exits for top seed Alexander Zverev and Novak Djokovic, while world number one Jannik Sinner is still serving a doping ban.

The 21-year-old admitted that he has felt some added pressure due to Sinner's absence.

"The first question, you know, since Jannik was unable to play tournaments, a lot of people were asking me and talking about, how important [the] moment that I have ahead is to reach the number one [ranking] again or to win tournaments or whatever," Alcaraz said.

"I was thinking so much about it instead of playing my good tennis and enjoy the time that I have stepping on the court and playing matches."

The victory also continues the uptick in his fortune at an event where he had lost his only other match in 2022.

Alcaraz won his only previous encounter with Davidovich Fokina, ranked 42 in the world, on the clay in Barcelona two years ago and he started quickly this time, breaking early.

Davidovich Fokina, who reached the last 16 of the Australia Open in January, broke back to make it 5-5 and then took the first set into the tie-break which he lost 7/2.

Alcaraz again broke early in the second set and this time there was no way back for 2022 runner-up Davidovich Fokina although he scrapped hard, saving 13 break points and four match points.

Musetti edges De Minaur 

Musetti, playing in his first Masters semifinal, seemed to suffer from nerves early on as he was broken by De Minaur in all four of his service games in the opening set.

But he settled down in the second set, grabbing a crucial break in the ninth game and successfully serving to force the match into a decider.

The 23-year-old got the better of a run of three consecutive breaks midway through the third set.

Musetti, a Wimbledon semi-finalist last year, failed to serve out the match, though, as De Minaur levelled at 5-5.

But the Italian held his nerve in the tie-break, securing a place in the biggest final of his career so far on his first match point when De Minaur netted a forehand.