Sports

AMMAN  — Jordan remained 82nd when the FIFA World Rankings were issued on Thursday.

The Kingdom is now 9th in Asia trailing Iran (42), Australia (50), South Korea (56), Japan (57), Saudi Arabia (60), Uzbekistan (66), the UAE (68) and China (81).

Argentina took over world’s top spot as Belgium dropped to second trailed by Chile, Columbia, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Portugal, Uruguay and England.

Jordan was eliminated from the 2018 World Cup qualifiers doubling as part of the qualification for 2019 Asian Cup after a dismal 5-1 defeat to Australia. 

The qualifying journey ended in Round 1 after an inconsistent year that saw the national team lose 1-0 to Kyrgyzstan 3-0 to Tajikistan and scoring an 8-0 win over Bangladesh in Leg 2. In Leg 1, Jordan was held to a disappointing 0-0 draw with Kyrgyzstan, beat Tajikistan 3-1, Australia 2-0 and Bangladesh 4-0. 

The group winners and four best runners-up (total 12 teams) advance to the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals and the final round of qualifying for the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The next best 24 teams from the preliminary stage of the joint qualifiers will compete in a separate competition for the remaining slots (12 slots or 11 slots + one slot for the host) in the 24-team 2019 Asian Cup. 

It has been an inconsistent year for Jordan’s squad which has seen three coaches leading the vital qualifying process. The line-up started off with Briton Ray Wilkins under whom the team failed to advance past the group stage of the 16th Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Asian Cup in 2015 before Ahmad Abdul Qader took over in the transitional phase under whom the team played the first qualifier. Belgian Paul Put took over in July 2015 but his tenure was also suspended when he was caught in the midst of a court case over match fixing in the Belgian league. Harry Redknapp lead the team in the last two qualifiers with a focus on reaching the Asian Championship and keeping World Cup qualifying chances alive.

Observers noted the drawbacks of not playing friendlies ahead of the last two qualifiers and only beating Egypt 1-0 earlier this year under interim coach Abdullah Abu Zam’eh, while the host team did not employ its senior squad and Jordan played without most pros while some were on the injury list. 

BARCELONA — Luis Suarez scored two second-half goals to lead Barcelona to a 2-1 comeback victory over 10-man Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Tuesday.

Fernando Torres opened the scoring in the 25th minute, but quickly went from hero to villain for Atletico when two reckless tackles saw him sent off in the 35th.

Atletico resisted the defending champion’s push for an equaliser until Suarez finally levelled with an opportunistic goal in the 63rd.

Suarez then put Barcelona ahead in the 74th when he played Dani Alves wide before sending the Brazil defender’s cross past goalkeeper Jan Oblak with an unstoppable header.

“This is one of the worst days of my life as a football player,” Torres said. “I’m sad for having left my team with 10. In some way I feel responsible for the team not winning.

“I am sure that with 11 it would have been completely different.”

That view seemed to be shared by Suarez.

“Torres’ red card was crucial because everyone knows about the quality he has,” Suarez said after scoring his team-high seventh and eight goals in the Champions League this season.

“It was a shame because it would have been great to come back against 11 players. The most important thing is that we won and they will have to score in the Calderon.”

Also on Tuesday, Bayern Munich edged Benfica 1-0 in their quarter-final first leg.

Barcelona’s fightback came three days after Real Madrid ended Barcelona’s Spanish record 39-match unbeaten streak with a 2-1 win at Camp Nou.

Besides recovering its winning ways after the disappointing “clasico” defeat, Luis Enrique’s side avenged its exit at the hands of Atletico from the 2013-14 quarter-finals with its club-record 11th consecutive home win in the competition.

Suarez took his overall haul to 45 goals this season, as he and strike partners Lionel Messi and Neymar recovered their form after underwhelming against Real.

But at full strength, Atletico’s disciplined defence, which had Diego Godin back in the middle after an injury lay-off, disrupted Barcelona’s attack, a promising sign that coach Diego Simeone can take into the second leg, in addition to the away goal.

“We are alive,” said Simeone, who added that he had to cool down after the match to avoid criticising the referee for sending off Torres.

“They had the chance to get another goal, but they couldn’t manage it. That will get our fans fired up for the second match in Madrid.”

Again, the clash of styles between the high-flying Barcelona and gritty Atletico produced another entertaining chapter in a growing rivalry between the Spanish clubs.

Atletico was content to absorb Barcelona’s attacks until Antoine Griezmann got its first shot. While his effort was off-target, Torres didn’t miss a minute later to continue his great scoring record against Barceona.

Gabi Fernandez led Atletico forward by passing to Jorge “Koke” Resurreccion, who in turn slipped a through ball to meet Torres’ run. The striker did the rest by sending a first-time shot between the legs of keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen for his 11th goal in 15 matches against Barcelona.

The goal unsettled Barcelona and Griezmann almost added another, only for Ter Stegen to redeem himself with a spectacular dive to paw his volley past his post.

Charged with being Atletico’s first line of defence, an over-eager Torres had picked up a booking for a foul on Neymar in the 29th, and a second clumsy tackle on Sergio Busquets earned him another yellow just minutes later.

Atletico succeeded in hunkering down until Barcelona picked up the pace of its passing and hemmed them into its box in the second half.

Midfielder Rafina went on as a second-half substitute for his first action for Barcelona since tearing a right-knee ligament in September.

Luis Enrique said that besides Torres’ sending off, his team took control by ditching its solo efforts in the first half and recovering its team passing style.

“We played with our heads, not just our hearts, which can lead to disaster,” Luis Enrique said. “I loved the match. The only ‘but’ I would give it is that we didn’t score another goal. We have to think that we need to win at the Calderon.”

Messi almost struck with an acrobatic bicycle kick before Neymar fired the ball against the bar in the 51st. Seeing his team in trouble, Simeone sent on midfielder Augusto Fernandez for Yannick Carrasco, but Suarez finally undid Atletico when he was in position to turn in Jordi Alba’s errant shot.

Barcelona continued to press and Suarez was both playmaker and finisher when he spotted Dani Alves free on the right wing before moving forward to thump in his pass for the winning goal.

BERNE — Recently elected FIFA President Gianni Infantino was “dismayed that his integrity was being doubted” in media reports about a contract he signed several years ago, the global football body said in a statement on Tuesday.

The reports from multiple news organisations, citing leaked documents, said Infantino had signed off on a contract with two Argentine businessman, Hugo and Mariano Jinkis, who were later indicted in the United States.

Reuters could not determine if the contract Infantino signed was related to the conduct underlying the indictments.

The reports said Infantino, at the time an official with European football body UEFA, signed a contract with the pair for the broadcast rights to Europe’s elite Champions League club competition in South America.

The pair, who owned an Argentine company called Cross Trading, then allegedly sold the rights for a price almost three times higher to Teleamazonas, a broadcaster in Ecuador, the reports said.

Reuters, which has not seen the documents, was unable to confirm this.

Both are among several dozen football officials indicted in the United States as part of a huge graft scandal which has swept the game and thrown FIFA into turmoil.

“I am dismayed and will not accept that my integrity is being doubted by certain areas of the media, especially given that UEFA has already disclosed in detail all facts regarding these contracts,” Infantino said in a FIFA statement.

“I would like to state for the record that neither UEFA nor I have ever been contacted by any authorities in relation to these particular contracts,” he added.

“Moreover, as media themselves report, there is no indication whatsoever for any wrongdoings from neither UEFA nor myself in this matter.”

Public outrage

Infantino was elected as head of FIFA in February, vowing to lead the football body out of years of corruption and scandal which saw his predecessor Sepp Blatter banned for six years.

The documents were part of the 11 million that were leaked from the Panamanian law firm Mossack Fonseca in what have become known as the Panama Papers.

Mossack Fonseca, which specialises in setting up offshore companies, denies any wrongdoing.

Reuters has not seen the documents and cannot verify the media reports.

UEFA was also dismayed at the media reports, which it said were a slur on Infantino.

“There was never any suggestion that anything improper took place,” it said, adding that the media had “misrepresented” the facts without elaborating.

“This attempted slur on [Infantino]’s character and on the reputation of UEFA, based on absolutely no evidence whatsoever, is not only a sad day for football but also a sad day for journalism.”

It added that the broadcast rights in question “were awarded after an open tender conducted by TEAM Marketing [UEFA’s broadcasting and marketing partner], acting on behalf of UEFA”.

“The rights were awarded to Teleamazonas/Cross Trading because they made the highest offer on the market.”

OAKLAND, California — The Golden State Warriors hit an unexpected obstacle on their quest for a record 73 wins, blowing a 17-point lead and losing 124-117 in overtime to the last-place Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Shabazz Muhammad scored a career-high 35 points and Andrew Wiggins had 32 as Minnesota prevented Golden State (69-9) from becoming the second team to win 70 games in a season. The Warriors now must win their final four games to break the single-season wins record of 72 set by Chicago in 1995-96.

Stephen Curry had a rare off-shooting night as Golden State took their third loss against a team currently in last place in its division.

The Warriors had won a record 54 straight regular-season games at home before losing to Boston last Friday.

At Salt Lake City, Kawhi Leonard made the go-ahead jumper with 4.9 seconds left and scored 18 points as the Spurs beat the Utah Jazz 88-86, giving Tim Duncan a 1,000th victory in the regular season.

Duncan became the third player to reach the milestone, following Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Robert Parish.

LaMarcus Aldridge and Manu Ginobili each added 14 points in the Spurs’ franchise-record 65th victory, and Rodney Hood missed the potential winning 3-pointer at the buzzer as Utah fell a half-game behind Dallas for seventh place in the Western Conference.

At Denver, Russell Westbrook turned his first-half frustration into a milestone night with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists to become the first player with 17 triple-doubles in a season in 27 years as the the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Nuggets 124-102.

Westbrook has the highest total since Magic Johnson had 17 for the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988-89. Westbrook, who had seven in March while winning Western Conference player of the month honours, has 35 in his career, which is second behind LeBron James for most among active players.

“It’s a great honour,” Westbrook said. “Whenever you’re mentioned in the same sentence as Magic, it’s always great.”

Kevin Durant had 26 points and eight assists for Oklahoma City, which is locked into the No. 3 seed in the West with four games left.

The Hornets lost back-to-back games for the first time in more than two months, upended 96-90 in Toronto.

DeMar DeRozan scored 26 points and Kyle Lowry had 12 of his 21 in the fourth quarter for the Raptors.

Charlotte, which lost at Cleveland on Sunday, had not lost consecutive games since defeats at Utah and Portland on January 27 and 29.

Memphis ended a six-game losing streak with a 108-92 win over the Chicago Bulls, while CJ McCollum made five 3-pointers and scored 30 points to lead Portland 115-107 over Sacramento, the Trail Blazers fifth win in six games.

At Milwaukee, J.R. Smith scored 21 points to lead hot-shooting Cleveland to a 109-80 win over the Bucks.

Kevin Love added 17 points and shot 3 of 6 from behind the arc for the Cavaliers, who maintained a 3 ½-game lead over Toronto for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

LeBron James finished with 17 points and shot 7 of 9 from the field to go with nine assists.

The Heat had a 107-89 home win over the Pistons and the Hawks beat the Suns 103-90, rallying from 13 down in the third quarter to keep things tight in the Eastern Conference play-off race.

At Los Angeles, Chris Paul scored 25 points and the Clippers beat their Staples Centre co-tenants 103-81 in Kobe Bryant’s last game as a visitor in his home arena.

Jeff Green added 21 points off the bench for the Clippers, whose franchise-record 10 victory streak over the Lakers is their second-longest active run against any opponent.

Bryant scored six points on 2-of-12 shooting. The Clippers paid tribute to the superstar guard, who retires next Wednesday, with a video shown just before he was introduced.

The 76ers ended a 12-game losing streak and ensured they won’t equal their own league record for fewest victories in an 82-game season by beating the Pelicans 107-93 to improve to 10-68. — one win clear of the 1972-73 76ers who set an NBA mark for futility with a 9-73 mark.

Kris Jenkins buried a buzzer-beating three-pointer to lift Villanova to a thrilling 77-74 upset victory over North Carolina in the US college basketball championship game in Houston on Monday.

It was a fitting end to a springtime single-elimination competition known affectionately as “March Madness” for its regular upsets and last-second victories.

Jenkins’ jump shot from distance splashed through the hoop with no time left on the clock, five seconds after Marcus Paige had rattled in an off-balance heave from outside the arc for the Tar Heels to tie the NCAA final at 74-74.

The victory gave the Philadelphia-area university a second national title, adding to a 1985 upset victory over Georgetown.

Back-up guard Phil Booth led the winners with 20 points, hitting six-of-seven shots with backcourt mate Ryan Arcidiacono adding 16. Paige led North Carolina with 21 points with his fellow guard Joel Berry scoring 20.

Top seeds North Carolina, a double-digit winner in each of their five games en route to the final, held a 39-34 half-time lead in pursuit of a sixth title but the Wildcats battled back, going on a 33-16 run to forge a 10-point lead with 5:29 left.

Second seeds Villanova were denied a stroll to the finish by the desperate Tar Heels, whose fan section featured more than 50 former players, including Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, who as a freshman hit the winning shot in their 1982 title victory.

Using superior size to shut down access to the hoop, North Carolina (33-7) staged a fierce comeback, capped by Paige’s desperation three-pointer that seemed likely to send the game to overtime.

However, senior guard Arcidiacono raced down the court and shovelled a pass to an open Jenkins, who pulled the trigger on a classic game winner that sent ecstatic Villanova (35-5) players into a heap on the floor as confetti rained down.

After Paige’s electric, game-tying three-pointer, Villanova coach Jay Wright called time to set up their final play.

“We put it in Arch’s hands,” Wright said. “It’s Arch’s job to make a decision. Arch made the perfect pass and Kris Jenkins lives for that moment.”

Jenkins, nicknamed the Big Smooth, said: “I think every shot is going in. So that one was no different.”

Arcidiacono, named the final four’s most outstanding player, said: “It’s an unbelievable way to go out. That’s just something that everyone dreams about.”

Teary-eyed North Carolina coach Roy Williams said: “I’ve been a head coach for 28 years and the worst thing is, with a loss like this I feel so inadequate because I don’t know how to make it better.”

Meanwhile, Shaquille O’Neal, Allen Iverson, Tom Izzo and modern-day basketball pioneers Yao Ming and Sheryl Swoopes headline the 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class announced Monday.

Long-time Chicago Bulls owner and Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf will be enshrined and posthumous inductees are NBA referee Darrell Garretson, John McLendon, the first African-American coach in professional basketball, and former stars Zelmo Beaty and Cumberland Posey.

O’Neal was an unstoppable force as a 7-foot-1 dunking machine who was named a 15-time NBA All-Star. He was a three-time NBA finals MVP, won four NBA titles and was the NBA MVP in 2000. He was one of the first crossover stars to go beyond endorsements, earning regular roles on the big screen.

Iverson was a brash point guard who averaged 26.7 points despite standing just 6-foot tall. The 11-time All-Star known as “The Answer” was the No. 1 overall pick in the 1996 draft. He was named rookie of the year, won four scoring titles was the 2001 NBA MVP, leading the Sixers to the NBA finals, where they lost to O’Neal’s Lakers.

Izzo won a national title at Michigan State in 2000, has led the Spartans to seven final fours and earned 524 career victories since becoming the head coach at Michigan State in 1995.

Swoopes was the first WNBA player signed and won three MVP awards and four WNBA titles.

Ming, the No. 1 overall pick in 2002 of the Houston Rockets and a transcendent 7-foot-6 center, is recognised as much for opening the door to international stars as his statistics.

Ming’s career ended early because of foot injuries but he averaged 19 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game in eight seasons but played only five games combined in his final two seasons.

Reinsdorf also owns the Chicago White Sox but is identified for elevating the Bulls into consistent winners during the pairing of Michael Jordan and Phil Jackson. The Bulls won six NBA championships in the 1990s.

Garretson was an NBA referee for 27 years and spent 17 years as the league’s chief of officiating.

Real Madrid will carry their momentum from Saturday’s “Clasico” victory over rivals Barcelona into their Champions League quarter-final first leg at struggling VfL Wolfsburg on Wednesday, coach Zinedine Zidane said.

Real scored their first league win at the Nou Camp since 2012, inflicting the first home defeat for Barcelona since February 2015.

“It is very important to have got the win here for our confidence and for the remainder of the season and with it coming right before our Champions League game in Germany,” said Zidane.

“We know just how important the Champions League is and we want to advance, so winning here in Barcelona was very important.”

The Frenchman took over from Rafael Benitez at the start of the year and on Saturday came through his first big Test with flying colours.

“I liked everything about my players’ performance. We put in a massive effort and I was pleased with everything, both defensively and attacking-wise,” said the 43-year-old, who as a player led Real to the Champions League title in 2002.

“When I see a team that is united and all together, with everyone fighting for their teammates and for their coach, there’s nothing better.”

Zidane has every right to be satisfied with the form of Madrid as they aim to keep alive their unbeaten run in this year’s competition in the quarter-finals.

They have won six successive games in all competitions since losing 1-0 at home to Atletico on February 27.

With Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema in goal-scoring form and Gareth Bale delivering assists, Real are an awe-inspiring prospect for mercurial Wolfsburg, struggling domestically this season.

Last year’s Bundesliga runners-up and German Cup winners slumped to a 3-0 loss at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, putting European participation next season at risk.

Wolfsburg, eighth in the Bundesliga, have also been struggling for goals in recent weeks, having scored just once in their last three league matches.

But Bast Dost, their top scorer last season, could make his comeback on Wednesday after being sidelined since January with a broken foot.

Wolfsburg sports director Klaus Allofs hopes the team will recover for what is the club’s biggest European game to date and their first ever last eight appearance.

“It would be fatal if we did not look forward to this game, a Champions League quarter-final,” Allofs said.

“We have to enjoy this but also make sure we correct some things from our Leverkusen performance. I am convinced we will see a different VfL on Wednesday.”

Lock horns

It is time to deliver for Paris St Germain and Manchester City as the two mega-rich teams prepare to lock horns in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.

PSG, who were crowned Ligue 1 champions last month, are attempting to reach the last four for the first time since Qatar Sport Investment started investing hundreds of millions of dollars into the club in 2011.

City, who have been backed by the wealth of Sheikh Mansour of Abu Dhabi for the last eight years. are featuring in the last eight of Europe’s biggest club competition for the first time.

France midfielder Samir Nasri believes his City side are the underdogs.

“Paris are the favourites,” said the former Arsenal player. “They’ve got the experience.”

PSG, who knocked Chelsea out 4-2 on aggregate in the last 16, geared up for Wednesday’s game by thrashing Nice 4-1 with talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic bagging a hat-trick to take his goal tally in Ligue 1 this season to 30 goals.

City also warmed up in style with a handsome 4-0 win at Bournemouth but they have several injury concerns.

Manuel Pellegrini’s men are definitely minus captain Vincent Kompany and are likely to be without goalkeeper Joe Hart and midfielder Yaya Toure. All three players have calf problems.

“It may be difficult for them to be fit for Wednesday,” Pellegrini said of Hart and Toure.

The good news for City is that Nasri and Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne are fit again following lengthy injury layoffs.

PSG midfielder Marco Verratti is sidelined with a groin injury although his team managed well enough without the Italian international when they beat Chelsea 2-1 at Stamford Bridge in the second leg last month.

Forward Javier Pastore, who is often used as a substitute, is missing with a calf problem but playmaker Angel Di Maria is set to return following a minor knee injury.

Ibrahimovic has been on fire in attack recently but midfielder Thiago Motta said it was more important how PSG fared as a team against City.

“It will not be Ibra against City but PSG against City,” the Italian said. “Maybe he will make the difference if he scores a goal but that’s not what matters.

“What matters is that we win the game. If he puts himself under pressure saying he has to win the match it’s not going to go well.”

BARCELONA/ MUNCIH — Barcelona’s 39-match unbeaten run may have ended with Saturday’s home defeat by Real Madrid but the European champions are adamant it was a temporary blip on their road to more glory.

Atletico Madrid will have taken real heart from their neighbours’ 2-1 victory at the Nou Camp as they go to the same venue in Tuesday’s quarter-final, first leg believing they can repeat their triumph over Barca at the same stage in 2014.

Yet, as the shockwaves reverberated through the European game after Barcelona’s late setback against 10-man Real, Barca captain Andres Iniesta told reporters: “This game won’t affect our mentality on Tuesday.

“Everyone is hurting after losing but we have to analyse what we did wrong so we don’t repeat the mistakes.”

Though Barcelona are six points clear of nearest pursuers Atletico at the top of la Liga, the attacking trident of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez lacked sharpness against Real.

It may have been a consequence of long journeys back from South America after representing their countries in World Cup qualifiers last week but Iniesta did not use that as an excuse.

Barca defender Gerard Pique, hoping to be part of the first team to achieve a domestic league and Cup and European Cup treble in consecutive years, added: “We have to move on, it’s a defeat but we are still alive in all competitions.

“Now we have to make sure we don’t fall into a slump, because we’re in a unique position.”

Atletico, who gave themselves an ideal send-off for the trip to Barca by thrashing Real Betis 5-1, are in confident mood even if recent history points to a Barca win.

The Catalans’ coach Luis Enrique has a perfect record against his Atletico counterpart Diego Simeone, having won all six of his games against the side from the capital.

Yet, Barcelona know exactly what a formidable opponent the Argentine Simeone remains as he masterminded their exit two years ago, winning the quarter-final tie 2-1 on aggregate after securing a 1-1 draw in the second leg at the Nou Camp.

Atletico’s Spanish international Juanfran said this time, with his side enjoying the advantage of playing at home in the second leg, the primary aim was to stay in the tie.

“We’re going there feeling very strong and our aim is to play well over there,” the defender told Canal Plus.

“It’s all about coming back from the Nou Camp with the game still alive so we can try and win the tie at our place.”

Simeone, naturally still hoping to leave the Nou Camp with a crucial away goal, told a news conference he would reward Fernando Torres for his excellent run of five goals in seven league matches by starting the 32-year-old on Tuesday.

Torres has a fine record against Barcelona, having scored 10 goals against them in 14 games for Atletico and Chelsea.

His most celebrated strike was the decisive equaliser for eventual champions Chelsea at the Nou Camp in a Champions League semi-final, second leg in 2012 which knocked out the Catalans.

Turning up?

A quick look at past and current form might have Benfica wondering whether it is worth even turning up for their Champions League quarter-final tie at Bayern Munich on Tuesday.

Whether it be Bayern’s home record in Europe this season, their record against Portuguese teams or simply the head-to-head record between the Bavarians and Benfica, all the numbers point overwhelmingly to a Bayern win in the first leg.

Benfica will be all too aware that their great rivals Porto also faced Bayern at the same stage of the competition last year and were trounced 6-1 at the Allianz Area after shipping five goals in a 22-minute spell in the first half.

In fact, Bayern have won all nine of their previous two-legged knockout ties against Portuguese opposition, including three against Benfica.

Their previous three home games against Benfica ended in one 5-1 and two 4-1 wins, and their overall record against the Eagles is four wins and two draws in six games.

Current form makes even worse reading for Benfica: Bayern have won all four home Champions League games this season, blasting 18 goals in the process.

However, Benfica, who won the old European Cup twice back in the 1960s, have made a habit of defying the odds in their first season under coach Rui Vitoria.

“Bayern are really difficult opponents but this team has already got over several barriers this season,” he said after Friday’s 5-1 league win over Braga.

“This team has achieved things which it appeared impossible to achieve and that is the spirit we will take into the game,” said Vitoria, whose side are looking to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.

Vitoria looked as if he would last only a few weeks in the job after Benfica began the season by losing three times to neighbours Sporting and were beaten by archrivals Porto.

Instead, they now find themselves five points clear at the top of the league and in the Champions League quarter-finals after winning 19 of their last 20 games in all competitions.

Their win over Zenit St Petersburg seemed highly unlikely when they were forced to take a makeshift defence to Russia to defend a 1-0 lead in the second leg, yet they came through with a 2-1 win.

Benfica boldly took the tie to their opponents in the first half of that game and may try to do so again on Tuesday.

Especially as Bayern have an injury crisis in defence, where Jerome Boateng and Holger Badstuber are ruled out and Medhi Benatia and Javi Martinez are doubtful.

Juventus showed in the previous round that Bayern can be vulnerable as they went 2-0 ahead inside half an hour. However, Bayern’s comeback, where they scored four goals to win 4-2 after extra time, was yet another ominous example of their strength at home.

Isaiah Thomas scored 26 points and Jae Crowder added 22 more, leading the Boston Celtics to a 107-100 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Centre on Sunday night.

Boston (45-32) clinched a play-off berth with the win.

Warriors 136, Trail Blazers 111

Stephen Curry scored 14 of his game-high 39 points in the third quarter Sunday night, helping the Golden State Warriors pull away from the Portland Trail Blazers en route to a 136-111 victory.

Playing for the first time since having their 54-game, home court winning streak ended by Boston on Friday night, the Warriors (69-8) kept their record perfect in games following losses with an eighth straight win.

Bulls 102, Bucks 98

Jabari Parker and Giannis Antetokounmpo combined for 58 points but Jimmy Butler hit two clutch buckets late to help the Chicago Bulls hold on for a 102-98 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks Sunday evening at the Bradley Centre.

Butler hit 9 of 10 shots from the field to finish with a team-high 25 for Chicago, which gained a half game on Indiana in the race for the eighth and final Eastern Conference play-off spot.

Pacers 92, Knicks 87

Paul George hit the tiebreaking basket with 23.6 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter as the Indiana Pacers squandered an 18-point lead before pulling out a 92-87 victory over the New York Knicks Sunday night.

The Pacers shot 4 of 16 in the fourth and their biggest hoop came in the final minute. After getting an inbounds pass from Monta Ellis, George gained enough separation from his defender and knocked down a 19-foot left-wing jumper in front of the New York bench.

Magic 119, Grizzlies 107

Center Nikola Vucevic, now in a reserve role, scored 25 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading the Orlando Magic to a 119-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies Sunday night at the Amway Centre.

The Grizzlies (41-36) lost their sixth consecutive game and 10th in their last 12 as they struggle to keep their play-off position in the Western Conference.

Jazz 101, Suns 86

Gordon Hayward scored 22 points and Derrick Favours added 17 as the Utah Jazz overcame a slow start to beat the Phoenix Suns 101-86 on Sunday.

The Jazz (39-38) stayed tied with the Dallas Mavericks, who beat the Minnesota Timberwolves Sunday, for seventh in the Western Conference play-off race. Both teams remained a game ahead of the Houston Rockets (38-39), who beat Oklahoma City on Sunday.

Mavericks 88, Timberwolves 78

The Dallas Mavericks played like a team that can smell the playoffs on Sunday, pulling away late to beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 88-78.

J.J. Barea led the Mavericks with 21 points as Dallas extended its win streak to four games. Wesley Matthews had 19 and Devin Harris added 16 points off the bench as the Mavs (39-38) remained in the thick of the fight for a Western Conference playoff spot.

Rockets 118, Thunder 110

James Harden delivered on both ends of the court and the Houston Rockets defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 118-110 on Sunday at Toyota Centre to keep their postseason hopes afloat.

Harden had game high 41 points with nine assists and three steals, including one with 37 seconds left that preceded his full-court pass to Patrick Beverley, whose dunk game Houston (38-39) a 112-104 lead.

Clippers 114, Wizards 109

Blake Griffin performed like a player who missed 45 games. However, his teammates, who have grown accustomed to his absence, picked up the slack as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Washington Wizards again.

Chris Paul scored 27 points and handed out 12 assists to spark the Clippers to a 114-109 victory over the Wizards on Sunday at Staples Centre.

Cavaliers 112, Hornets 103

LeBron James had 31 points and 12 assists and J.R. Smith matched his season high with 27 points in the Cleveland Cavaliers’ 112-103 victory against the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday.

The Hornets pulled within 96-92 after the Cavs led by 21 in the first half, but Smith and Kevin Love each made key 3-pointers late in the game and the Cavs held on to strengthen their hold on the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

Pelicans 106, Nets 87

Tim Frazier had his first career double-double with 19 points and 13 assists as the New Orleans Pelicans put on a passing clinic during a 106-87 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday.

After getting extensive praise from coach Alvin Gentry before the game, Frazier had the most productive game of his career. In his 10th game for the Pelicans, he made 7 of 10 shots while playing 38 minutes.

Kawhi Leonard had a career-high 33 points, while LaMarcus Aldrige had 31 points and 15 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 102-95 Saturday night for their franchise-record 64th victory.

San Antonio never trailed and topped its 63-win season in 2005-06. The Spurs also extended their NBA-record home winning streak to start a season to 39 games.

The Spurs closed it out at the free-throw line, capturing their 48th straight home victory dating to March 2015.

Norman Powell had 17 points, Jonas Valanciunas and Cory Joseph added 16 points and Patrick Patterson had 12 points for the Raptors.

In Portland, C.J. McCollum had 24 points and made all six of his 3-point attempts to help the Trail Blazers beat Miami 110-93 for their seventh straight home win.

Despite the loss, the Heat still clinched a playoff spot after the Chicago Bulls lost to Detroit earlier in the evening. However, having come into the game tied for the third seed in the East, Miami dropped to sixth with the loss.

The Blazers made 10 3-pointers to break a franchise record for 3-pointers in a season with 808. They are in sixth place in the Western Conference and have not clinched a play-off spot yet.

Damian Lillard did not play in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 points for the Blazers. Gerald Henderson came off the bench to score 17 points.

Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with 21 points and 13 assists.

In Chicago, Reggie Jackson scored 22 points and Tobias Harris added 21 as Detroit overcame Jimmy Butler’s first career triple-double to beat the Bulls 94-90.

Marcus Morris had 16 points and Andre Drummond had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who remain on track for a play-off spot.

Butler had 28 points and career highs of 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Pau Gasol had 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Detroit are a half-game ahead of Indiana for seventh in the Eastern Conference and 2 1/2 games up on ninth-place Chicago.

C.J. Miles scored 25 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:39 left as Indiana rallied to beat short-handed Philadelphia, 115-102.

Paul George added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Indiana, the eighth seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Rodney Stuckey scored 17 points.

Isaiah Canaan had 24 points for Philadelphia (9-68), which need one victory in their remaining five games to avoid matching the 1972-73 Sixers for the worst full-season record in NBA history.

Rudy Gay had 25 points and nine rebounds and Seth Curry scored 17 points to help Sacramento beat Denver 115-106 to sweep the three-game season series.

Darren Collison had 14 points and eight assists and Willie Cauley-Stein and Ben McLemore scored 14 points each for Sacramento, which played without DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo.

Gary Harris led Denver with 19 points and Emmanuel Mudiay and Joffrey Lauvergne had 15 apiece.

AMMAN — Hussein Ishaiash qualified for this summer’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro on Friday at the Asian and Oceania qualifying event in Qian’an, China.

The super heavyweight boxer bounced back from his semifinal defeat on Thursday to win the third place “Olympic box-off” against Iran’s Abdolmajid Sepahvandi. HRH Prince Feisal Al Hussein, president of the Jordan Olympic Committee, congratulated the boxer saying:

“On behalf of the Jordanian sporting family I would like to congratulate Hussein and the Jordan Boxing Federation on this wonderful achievement. Qualifying for an Olympic Games takes years of dedication and we are proud of what has been achieved.

I hope this will inspire other Jordanians to go on and also qualify and we wish them all well in their efforts. This is a great day for Jordan sport.”