INDIANAPOLIS -- The Indiana Pacers certainly savored their first playoff opener at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since the 2013-14 season and appropriately celebrated their 117-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

But after taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series, the Pacers tried to walk a fine line of taking heart in the win while also understanding that Saturday's blueprint might be hard to duplicate. After surviving a 36-point, 12-rebound effort from Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo by shutting down the Bucks' supporting cast, the Pacers know they've got to keep their collective foot on the pedal.

"I haven't looked at any of the film yet, but the series is one-seventh over and Game 2 will be monumentally more difficult than this one," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

"I think it was decent," Pacers center Myles Turner said of his team's defense, which limited Milwaukee's four starters outside of Antetokounmpo to 5-of-20 shooting (25%). "We definitely have areas to improve. I think we fouled way too much. I think we missed ... some of our doubles, as well. So, overall, I think it was good to get our baseline. That's what Game 1's all about. Get your baseline, you make your adjustments, you improve from there."

It was quite the luxury to come away with some dissatisfaction in a game the Pacers led by as many as 28 points. Indiana was dominant at times in the first half, closing the second quarter on an 18-5 run to take control before the Bucks tightened things in the second half. Indiana forward Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 25 points and seven rebounds, guard Andrew Nembhard added 17 points and guard Tyrese Haliburton contributed 12 assists.

Of course, Indiana cannot realistically expect the Bucks to have a similarly poor shooting night in each game this series, meaning that an intensified defensive effort against Antetokounmpo will be a focus ahead of Tuesday's Game 2 -- especially with Damian Lillard potentially able to play by then.

"Giannis got to the basket too much," Carlisle said. "We're trying to build walls. He's still getting there. He's a great player and great players cause collateral problems, so it's not a surprise. But we've got to look at that."

Antetokounmpo consistently got downhill against the Pacers, resulting in him shooting 11 free throws in the first half alone. The Pacers tried using a second defender against him throughout, but that worked only intermittently.

"A tough cover," Siakam said. "You've got to do the best you can. He's really good at getting to the paint, getting to the rim. He's strong, he's physical, so it is going to take a lot and I thought we did a decent job. But he got a lot of easy buckets there, too, and we've just got to continue to make it as hard as we can on him. It's a tough job for sure."

That job was made easier by the fact that the remaining Bucks offered little, including starters Taurean Prince and Kyle Kuzma, who were both held scoreless. That came as a result of the Pacers creating tough shots and, at other times, outright misses. Coupled with the fact that the Pacers had a well-rounded offensive effort, with five players in double figures, and it was more than enough to come away with a key win.

The Pacers' ball movement was impressive, with 28 total assists compared to Milwaukee's 15. Antetokounmpo took issue with his team's offensive disposition and made it clear Saturday's effort won't suffice.

"We've got to be more decisive with the ball," he said. "That's pretty much it. When the ball gets to your hand, see that you shoot the ball or create an opportunity to create the advantage for the next player. If you don't have a shot, that means you can get downhill. Or if you get downhill, either you finish or you pass the ball. Just be decisive.

"The way we played tonight, at times, wasn't us."

DENVER -- Nikola Jokic scored 29 points and Aaron Gordon added 25, including a pair of free throws with 12 seconds left, and the Denver Nuggets roared back from a 15-point first-half deficit to power past the LA Clippers 112-110 in overtime Saturday in the opener of their Western Conference playoff series.

Jamal Murray added 21 points, nine boards and seven assists for the fourth-seeded Nuggets, who improved to 4-0 under interim coach David Adelman, Michael Malone's replacement.

The No. 5 seed Clippers' loss was their first since March 30 at Cleveland. They rolled into the playoffs having won 18 of 21, including their past eight, and they jumped out to an early lead that held until the final minutes of regulation.

Game 2 is Monday night at Ball Arena.

Russell Westbrook came up big at the end of regulation with an uncontested corner 3 for a 98-96 Denver lead, and again in overtime when he knocked the inbounds pass away from -- and off of -- James Harden with 9.6 seconds left and Denver clinging to a 3-point lead.

The clutch 3-pointer from Westbrook marked his first career go-ahead 3 inside the final 30 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime in his playoff career, according to ESPN Research.

Jokic was fouled on the ensuing inbounds play and his two free throws made it 112-107 before Norman Powell's buzzer 3-pointer.

The score was tied at 98 at the end of regulation.

After Westbrook's 3-pointer from the left corner, Harden responded with a floater to tie it and the Nuggets couldn't get off a shot in the final 18 seconds.

In overtime, the Nuggets never trailed.

Jokic had 12 assists and finished one rebound shy of a triple-double. Harden led the Clippers with 32 points. Kawhi Leonard added 27 and Ivica Zubac had 21.

These teams last met in the playoffs in 2020 at the Walt Disney World in the pandemic bubble, when the Nuggets overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Clippers.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BOSTON -- Liam Hendriks knew the number as if it was his career saves or ERA: 680 days.

The 36-year-old right-hander was back on a major league roster Saturday with the Boston Red Sox, in position to make his first big league appearance since June 9, 2023.

"It feels like at least a thousand," Hendriks said, smiling in the middle of the clubhouse. "It feels a lot longer than that. It's been a long and arduous journey to get here."

Hendriks was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in December 2022, and the three-time All-Star returned to the mound on May 29, 2023. He made five appearances, went on the injured list with right elbow inflammation and had Tommy John surgery Aug. 2 that year.

After the season, he was voted the AL Comeback Player of the Year for 2023.

Hendriks made six minor league rehab appearances last August and three this spring. The Red Sox activated him from the 15-day injured list Saturday and optioned right-hander Hunter Dobbins to Triple-A Worcester.

A popular player known for charitable work, including providing T-shirts for team employees at last year's season-ending staff party, Hendriks questioned his own ability during spring training.

"Even when I was 96 [mph] in spring, they were taking way too comfortable swings on it, and that was one thing that was really hampering me," Hendriks said. "It was really a mental struggle to figure out what the difference was."

An All-Star with Oakland in 2019 and the White Sox in 2021 and '22, Hendriks couldn't figure out what he was doing differently after the surgery.

"All the data said it was similar but it's really hard to define the things that made me as far as pitching," he said. "One of things that gave me the ability to do well was the jump to the fastball and having that jump where it plays up a little bit and gets on guys."

When he was sidelined, his wife, Kristi, pushed him to return to the field.

"A lot of it is just showing up every day and making sure you just get that little bit better," he said, before joking: "That and the disdain from my wife [from] still being on the IL. That was one of the motivating factors, as well."

The Los Angeles Dodgers placed veteran right-hander Blake Treinen on the 15-day injured list with forearm tightness while right-hander Evan Phillips was activated for the first time this season.

Treinen had lingering forearm discomfort that was aggravated during a throwing session Friday. The 36-year-old was 0-2 in eight appearances to start the season with two saves and a 3.38 ERA.

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Treinen would undergo imaging on his throwing arm on Saturday.

"It was just some forearm tightness, so we want to get to the bottom of it," Roberts said. "Don't know how long it'll be. I appreciate Blake for letting us know his discomfort."

In 11 major league seasons, including five with the Dodgers, Treinen is 43-36 with 82 saves and a 2.79 ERA in 507 appearances (seven starts).

Phillips, 30, has been out with a rotator cuff injury that cost him a spot on the team's World Series roster last season. Phillips was 5-1 with 18 saves and a 3.62 ERA in 61 relief appearances last season.

In seven seasons, including the last four with the Dodgers, he is 16-12 with a 3.43 ERA and 45 saves in 243 appearances (one start).

PHILADELPHIA -- Jordan Romano says his right arm felt the best it had in a long time -- the two-time All-Star closer even hit 99.8 mph on a four-seam fastball. The Marlins just hit him -- rocked him, actually -- much, much harder.

The Phillies' eight-inning rout turned close in the ninth once Romano was summoned to close out an 11-4 lead. Dane Myers instead hit a three-run homer, Graham Pauley added an RBI double and Liam Hicks added a two-run shot -- his first big-league homer -- and suddenly it was 11-10.

Romano, already in the midst of a rough first season in Philly, was heavily booed Saturday as he trudged off the mound.

"Kind of expect that when you're pitching like that, for sure," Romano said.

Romano was charged with six runs and retired just two batters in the ninth before Jose Alvarado bailed him out and got the final out of the 11-10 win for his fifth save. Romano's ERA ballooned to 15.26 in nine games this season.

"I felt confident, honestly, in all my pitches," Romano said. "I don't know, they were seeing it really well today. Everything I threw in there, I felt like they were pretty comfortable with. Obviously, putting pretty good swings on it."

After a slow start to the season, Romano thought he might have solved his mechanical issues when he adjusted the leg lift on his delivery. Romano was left to wonder after he gave up six hits on just 22 pitches if perhaps he's tipping his pitches. He said he'd watch the video to find out if there's another flaw in his delivery.

"Usually, I don't [watch video], when it's just a blooper or something like that," Romano said. "But when they're putting that good a swings on it, for sure."

Manager Rob Thomson said the Phillies will conduct a deeper dive to determine whether Romano is tipping his pitches.

"He's got a great track record," Thomson said, adding that he was very surprised at his outing overall. "As long as his stuff is good, you've got to believe in him."

An All-Star in 2022 and 2023, Romano spent the first six seasons of his major league career with the Toronto Blue Jays. He had 105 saves and a 2.90 ERA in 231 relief appearances with Toronto. The Phillies declined to re-sign former All-Star relievers Carlos Estevez and Jeff Hoffman and instead made a short-term bet on Romano with an $8.5 million, one-year contract.

Hoffman signed with the Blue Jays and entered Saturday 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA, 16 strikeouts in 11 innings and five saves.

The 31-year-old Romano was limited to just eight saves in 15 games last season. He had arthroscopic surgery on his elbow in July but has been healthy with the Phillies.

"What's honestly crazy to me is, like, I went out there and executed what I wanted to do," Romano said. "It's just the worst result possible. I wanted to drive the zone with my heater, throw the slider in there for strikes. I did that. Just got crushed."

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes doesn't just make baseballs go fast. The Pittsburgh Pirates' young ace can make merchandise fly off shelves, too.

Fans began lining up outside PNC Park more than five hours before Saturday's game between Pittsburgh and Cleveland in hopes of landing a bobblehead featuring the reigning National League Rookie of the Year.

The gates didn't open until 90 minutes before the first pitch. Lines stretched out in all directions from the park early Saturday afternoon, including one that snaked over the Roberto Clemente Bridge behind center field, which links Pittsburgh's North Shore to the city's downtown.

We know how unique today's Paul Skenes Rookie of the Year bobblehead giveaway is and how popular it is for our fans. We don't want any fan who attended today's game to not receive one.

Any fan who scanned into today's game after the first 20,000 bobbleheads were given away... pic.twitter.com/e1lZNIEJBL

Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 19, 2025

Demand grew so great that the club -- which has endured its share of public relations issues during the season's opening weeks -- pledged to make sure everyone in the expected sellout crowd who did not receive one will have an opportunity to obtain one.

Team president Travis Williams called interest in the bobblehead "unprecedented," and in a social media post, the team added that it realized "how popular it is for our fans."

The promotion also happened to align with Skenes' fourth start of the season. The top pick in the 2023 amateur draft dropped to 2-2 after allowing two runs over seven innings in a 3-0 loss to the Guardians.

This is hardly the first time an item featuring Skenes drew outsized attention. A one-of-a-kind card featuring Skenes sold for more than $1 million at auction last month.

The card, manufactured by Topps, included a patch of the No. 30 jersey Skenes wore during his big league debut. It generated the kind of buzz typically reserved for iconic collectibles featuring Hall of Famers Honus Wagner, Mickey Mantle and Ken Griffey Jr.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Los Angeles Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani and his wife, Mamiko Tanaka, announced the birth of their first child Saturday.

"I am so grateful to my loving wife who gave birth to our healthy beautiful daughter," Ohtani wrote in an Instagram post. "To my daughter, thank you for making us very nervous yet super anxious parents."

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A post shared by Shohei Ohtani | 大谷翔平 (@shoheiohtani)

The Dodgers placed Ohtani on MLB's paternity list prior to their series opener Friday night against the Texas Rangers.

Manager Dave Roberts said after Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers that Ohtani texted him and said he would rejoin the club for the series finale Sunday.

Ohtani can miss up to three games while on leave. The Dodgers have an off day Monday, then play the Cubs in Chicago on Tuesday.

Ohtani, 30, posted on his Instagram account in late December that he and Tanaka, 28, a former professional basketball player from his native Japan, were expecting a baby in 2025.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Carlos Alcaraz reached the Barcelona Open final for the third time in four years, where he will face Holger Rune for the title.

Spanish world number two Alcaraz, bidding for his second title in seven days, swept aside France's Arthur Fils 6-2 6-4.

Alcaraz won his home tournament in 2022 and 2023 before missing it last year because of injury.

"Since I was a little kid, I watched the final every Sunday," Alcaraz, the reigning French Open and Wimbledon champion, said.

"Being in the final again means a lot, in front of my people and my friends who came from Murcia [Alcaraz's home city].

"Let's see if tomorrow we will end the day with the trophy."

Denmark's Rune secured his place in the final with a 6-3 6-2 win over Russia's Karen Khachanov.

The victory also ensured Rune will return to the world's top 10 for the first time since April 2024 when the rankings are updated on Monday.

Jelena Ostapenko continued her dominance over Iga Swiatek with a three-set victory to reach the Stuttgart Open semi-finals.

Latvia's Ostapenko beat world number two Swiatek 6-3 3-6 6-2 to extend her unbeaten winning streak against the Pole to six matches.

Ostapenko is the first player to beat five-time major champion Swiatek on every surface - once on grass, four times on hard courts and now once on clay.

"She's a great clay-court player but I won the French [Open] as well, so I can say the same thing about myself, " the 27-year-old said.

"I have so much respect to her and her team but every time I step on the court with her, it's a battle and I'm ready for it."

Ostapenko will face a semi-final against Russia's Ekaterina Alexandrova, who beat third seed Jessica Pegula 6-0 6-4.

World number one Aryna Sabalenka, who reached the quarter-finals without playing a match after opponent Anastasia Potapova withdrew with injury, faces Elise Mertens later on Saturday, before Coco Gauff plays Jasmine Paolini.