Luis Enrique salutes 'best squad in the world' as new-look PSG advances in Champions League

BIRMINGHAM, England (AP) — Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique described his group of players as the “best squad in the world” after advancing to the Champions League semifinals for the second straight season.

Under the Spaniard, PSG has replaced its “galacticos” like Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappé with talented up-and-coming players and the change in policy appears to be paying off.

With the French league already secured, the Qatar-owned club can focus on winning the Champions League for the first time, having reached the last eight for the third time in five years — albeit after losing 3-2 to Aston Villa in the second leg of the quarterfinals on Tuesday.

While saluting all of his players, Luis Enrique reserved special praise for his goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, who produced a string of great saves to prevent Villa taking the game to extra time.

“I think I have the best squad in the world, not only the goalkeeper,” Luis Enrique said after seeing his team advance 5-4 on aggregate. “In a club like we are at PSG, you have a lot of quality players and Gigi is one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

“And I have to say that match, for us, allows us to grow up and compete even better.”

Achraf Hakimi was one of the early scorers for PSG on Tuesday — along with fellow full back Nuno Mendes — and the Morocco international said “we are on the way to becoming a big team” having already eliminated Premier League champion-elect Liverpool in the knockout stage.

“I think we are really confident right now,” Hakimi said. “We are again in the semifinals and we want to show PSG is a big team, a big club and we want to fight for all the titles we can.”

Luis Enrique refused to be disappointed by the way his team collapsed in the second half against Villa, which had enough great chances to not just tie the score on aggregate but even advance.

“This is the Champions League and you have to accept that the opposition team has a lot of quality,” he said. “Aston Villa was playing with a lot of intensity in the second half and they scored two goals in three minutes when, at that moment, the match was almost dead.

“I think, over the two matches, we deserved to win.”

PSG will face either Arsenal or Real Madrid in the semifinals.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique, left, shakes hands with Aston Villa's head coach Unai Emery at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique shouts during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique reacts during the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique waves at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at the Villa Park stadium, in Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Frank Augstein)

PSG's head coach Luis Enrique waits for the start of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Aston Villa and Paris Saint-Germain at Villa Park stadium, Birmingham, England, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

DENVER (AP) — Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points on 15-of-19 shooting and the Los Angeles Clippers evened their first-round playoff series against the Nuggets with a 105-102 win in Denver on Monday night.

Christian Braun was long on a 3-pointer with 6 seconds left, and Nikola Jokic, who recorded his 19th career playoff triple-double, grabbed the rebound but also missed a 3, with 1 second remaining.

The Clippers, who lost Game 1 in overtime, haven’t lost back-to-back games since March 2-4, a stretch of 23 games, and they handed David Adelman his first loss in five games since replacing Michael Malone in a stunning move on the eve of the playoffs.

Jokic, just the third player to average a triple-double over a season, had 26 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists and Jamal Murray added 23 points for the Nuggets, who also got a bounce-back game from Michael Porter Jr. (15 points and 15 rebounds) after his 3-point performance in Game 1.

It wasn't enough against Leonard, who had 21 points at the break, including a pull-up 3-pointer at the halftime buzzer that broke a 52-all tie.

Leonard also had a key steal of a Jokic pass with 37 seconds remaining in the game, but Harden missed at the other end and Braun grabbed the defensive rebound with 11 seconds left.

The Nuggets committed 20 turnovers — the same number the Clippers had in Game 1 — and missed eight free throws. “That was a killer,” Adelman said.

Jokic had an uncharacteristic seven turnovers and missed 4 of 10 free throws.

Things got chippy in the third quarter when Norman Powell got away with a push and Murray grabbed hold of him. Official Tyler Ford quickly stepped between the two, but Powell and teammate Kris Dunn were whistled for technicals, as was Braun. Because two of the technicals were on the Clippers, the Nuggets got a free throw and Murray sank the shot to pull Denver to 68-67.

The Clippers rolled into the playoffs as the league’s hottest team, winning their last eight games and 18 of their final 21 before losing Game 1 Saturday night 112-110.

Clippers coach Tyronn Lue spoke before tip-off about the need to pick up the pace for Game 2, but the Nuggets outscored L.A. 14-3 in fastbreak points in the first quarter, just two points shy of their season average. Yet, they didn't get anymore fastbreak points the rest of the game and L.A. finished with 18 points on the break.

The series shifts to Los Angeles for Game 3 Thursday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, top right, looks to pass the ball to guard James Harden, bottom right, as Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr., left, defends in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, center front, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (32), forward Michael Porter Jr., center back, and center Nikola Jokic, right, defend in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray, top, drives to the basket as Los Angeles Clippers guard James Harden, bottom, defends in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard, right, looks to pass the ball as Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, and forward Michael Porter Jr., center, defend in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Los Angeles Clippers center Ivica Zubac, right, drives past Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, left, in the first half of Game 2 of a first-round NBA playoff series Monday, April 21, 2025, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)