Serie A have called off five fixtures this weekend including Juventus vs. Inter Milan because of fears over coronavirus.

The other games are Udinese vs. Fiorentina, Milan vs. Genoa, Parma vs. SPAL and Sassuolo vs. Brescia.

A number of sporting events in the north of the country have been cancelled over the past two weeks due to the virus having affected numerous victims, with 12 fatalities at the time of writing.

- Marcotti: How Italy is impacted by coronavirus

Originally, the top of the table clash between Juve and Inter was scheduled to be played behind closed doors, but it has now been cancelled altogether with the fixture provisionally rearranged for May 13.

The game was due to be shown live on ESPN+.

Juventus confirmed the news on Twitter, saying the measure had been taken "in compliance with the "Urgent measures for the containment and management of the epidemiological emergency of COVID-19"."

Serie A said in a statement that the decision was made "considering the succession of numerous urgent regulatory interventions by the Government to respond to this extraordinary emergency to protect public health and safety."

Four matches were cancelled last weekend including Inter Milan's home game against Sampdoria.

As it stands Lazio vs. Bologna and Napoli vs. Torino will go ahead on Saturday as scheduled.

Information from Reuters contributed to this report.

Big picture

The Mashrafe Mortaza retirement speculation circus has taken the spotlight in Bangladesh, turning the ODI series against Zimbabwe into a bit of a sideshow. To add more spice to the unfolding melodrama, BCB president Nazmul Hassan has already said that this is going to be Mashrafe's last series as captain.

But we mustn't get carried away and consider the fact that Bangladesh are playing their first ODI after seven months with several changes in personnel, which certainly warrants a discussion. To start with, the team management could hand an ODI debut to Mohammad Naim, who impressed against India in November. Meanwhile, Liton Das could be given the No. 3 role, a position he has batted in on nine occasions averaging a paltry 15.87.

Mushfiqur Rahim and Mahmudullah will then have to bat around Mohammad Mithun and Afif Hossain, who is a like-for-like replacement for Sabbir Rahman. Mohammad Saifuddin is returning from a back injury, although it is likely that the team management will be monitoring his workload.

For Zimbabwe, Brendan Taylor, Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza and Craig Ervine will form the batting core, but how a new combination at the top - most likely Chamu Chibhabha opening with Timycen Maruma - and an iffy lower order shape up could determine their fate. Bowling-wise, a bit of pace and some accurate legspin from Tinotenda Mutombodzi could make the difference.

Form guide

(last five completed matches, most recent first)

Bangladesh LLLLL

Zimbabwe LLLLL

In the spotlight

Mashrafe, sure, Mushfiqur Rahim is in the side too. In the one-off Test last week, Mushfiqur completed his third double-hundred in Tests, looking in sublime form. Bangladesh will expect their most experienced batsman to play the dual role of anchor and enforcer depending on the situation of the game. All in the shadow of the ongoing drama around his choosing not to travel to Pakistan.

Chamu Chibhabha will have a lot to prove as he not only returns to the ODI team after July 2018, but also takes over as first time captain . A sedate top-order batsman who bowls brisk medium-pace, Chibahbha made a total of 77 runs in his last first-class match.

Team news

From the squad against Sri Lanka last year, Anamul Haque, Soumya Sarkar, Sabbir Rahman and Rubel Hossain have made way for captain Mashrafe, Saifuddin and Liton. Naim could make his debut, while Bangladesh have Taijul Islam, Al Amin Hossain and Shafiul Islam as bowling options.

Bangladesh (probable): 1 Tamim Iqbal 2 Mohammad Naim, 3 Liton Das, 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mohammad Mithun, 6 Mahmudullah, 7 Afif Hossain, 8 Mohammad Saifuddin, 9 Mehidy Hasan, 10 Mashrafe Mortaza (capt), 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Chibhabha and Maruma are the likely new opening pair, though Tinashe Kamunhukamwe could also be in the picture. Zimbabwe also have 19-year-old spin-bowling allrounder Wesley Madhevere fresh out of the Under-19 side.

Zimbabwe (probable): 1 Chamu Chibhabha (capt), 2 Timycen Maruma, 3 Craig Ervine, 4 Brendan Taylor (wk), 5 Sean Williams, 6 Sikandar Raza, 7 Tinotenda Mutombodzi, 8 Donald Tiripano, 9 Ainsley Ndlovu, 10 Chris Mpofu, 11 Carl Mumba

Pitch and conditions

Sylhet typically offers a pitch without much grass and with even bounce. Plenty of runs are available if batsmen give it a bit of time. The weather should be clear.

Stats and trivia

• Tamim Iqbal is 108 runs short of becoming the first Bangladesh batsman to score 7000 ODI runs.

• Bangladesh have won the only ODI played at this venue, against West Indies in December 2018.

South Africa won the toss and chose to bat first vs Australia

South Africa handed Janneman Malan and Kyle Verreynne ODI debuts at Paarl and picked two frontline spinners in Keshav Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi.

Missing Kagiso Rabada, ruled out of the series late last night with a groin injury, South Africa opted for a spin-heavy attack, with Lungi Ngidi, Anrich Nortje and allrounder Andile Phehlukwayo the three seam options in the side.

Australia sprung a surprise of their own, selecting D'Arcy Short as the spin-bowling allrounder ahead of Ashton Agar. Short was carded to bat at No. 7, and is set to share the fifth bowler's workload along with Marnus Labuschagne and Mitchell Marsh.

As well as Rabada, South Africa were missing the rested Faf du Plessis, Rassie van der Dussen and Dwaine Pretorius, while Dale Steyn is travelling to Pakistan to play for Islamabad United in the PSL.

Malan, brother of Pieter, has played two T20Is for South Africa, against Pakistan last year. He was the leading South African run-scorer in this year's Mzansi Super League, with an aggregate of 358 and an imperious strike rate of 149.79. Verreynne, an attacking middle-order batsman, makes his South Africa debut and is carded to bat at No. 6. He has had a quiet domestic season to date both in the Mzansi Super League and in the ongoing One-Day Cup, but has long been seen as one for the future.

Labuschagne, playing cricket in his native South Africa for the first time in more than 15 years, continues at No. 4, where he made his debut in India. Marsh continues in the middle order, with Wade missing out, while Josh Hazlewood comes in for Kane Richardson from the side that played throughout the T20I series.

South Africa: 1 Quinton de Kock (wk, captain), 2 Janneman Malan, 3 Temba Bavuma, 4 Kyle Verreynne, 5 Heinrich Klaasen, 6 David Miller, 7 Andile Phehlukwayo, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Lungi Ngidi, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Tabraiz Shamsi

Australia: 1 Aaron Finch (captain), 2 David Warner, 3 Steven Smith, 4 Marnus Labuschagne, 5 Mitchell Marsh, 6 Alex Carey (wk), 7 D'Arcy Short, 8 Mitchell Starc, 9 Pat Cummins, 10 Josh Hazlewood, 11 Adam Zampa

Eritrea-born marathon man has lived in UK since 2012, runs for Shettleston Harriers and wants to represent Britain at the Olympics and Scotland at the Commonwealth Games

Dewi Griffiths, Chris Thompson, Andy Vernon and Derek Hawkins are among the front runners to earn Olympic marathon selection at the British trial in London in April, but watch out for Weynay Ghebresilasie.

The Eritrean-born athlete was the fastest man in London last year from the mass start with 2:17:21 but his coach, John Mackay, believes he can go much faster and they are in a race to get the 25-year-old runner British citizenship in time to qualify for Tokyo.

Ghebresilasie ran 8:28 for the 3000m steeplechase as a teenager, finished sixth in the World Junior Championships and ran in that event at the London Olympics.

After those 2012 Games he applied for asylum in the UK and lived in Croydon and Huddersfield before eventually settling in the north-east of England in Sunderland.

Still a junior, he won the North of England under-20 cross-country title in 2013 and started the English National Cross Country Championships that year in Sunderland Harriers colours as favourite to take the junior men’s crown on his new home soil.

Struggling with a leg injury and running in snowy conditions that were alien to him, he finished third, however, and his form subsequently deteriorated as he joined Birchfield Harriers in Birmingham.

Four years ago, though, he moved to Glasgow to join Shettleston Harriers. The club has a history of helping people in the community and after the World Cross Country Championships in Edinburgh in 2008 they welcomed a number of Eritrean asylum seekers into their fold. These included Tsegai Tewelde, who went on to run for Britain in the marathon at the Rio Olympics.

Now Mackay, a teacher and coach at Shettleston Harriers, believes they can help Ghebresilasie do the same and they are hoping to hear some good news about his British citizenship application this month.

Being able to represent Britain in athletics will not be straightforward, however, given the fact he has run for Eritrea in the past, but the Olympics aside it might be possible for him to run for Scotland in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in 2022.

“Weynay is a big, big talent,” says Mackay. “Because of the work we’ve been doing with Eritrean athletes, it meant that Weynay decided to come to Glasgow.

“We have a good network of support here,” Mackay adds. “We got Tsegai to the Olympics and now we’re supporting some of Weynay’s altitude training.

“He comes here and works for a while and tries to pick some races to earn some cash and our club helps him with grants. We have a very strong social input into the area and have for many years.”

Ghebresilasie has been training in Ethiopia recently but is due to race in the Vitality Big Half on Sunday (March 1) from the championship start followed by the Inverness Half-Marathon on March 8, where he hopes to run sub-63 minutes and earn some money to go back to Ethiopia to train before London.

In London on April 26, he is set to start with the elite runners and Mackay hopes he will run a more sensible race than last year.

“He was crazy,” says Mackay. “He went too fast at the start and died. If you look at his splits it was terrible but it wasn’t bad for his first marathon.”

Lucy Turmel meets Rowan Elaraby in battle of the giant killers  
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

Nour El Tayeb and Joelle King, the 2018 finalists, fell to shock defeats against World No.20 Rowan Elaraby and World No.19 Nadine Shahin on day two of the 2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family at the University Club of Chicago.

El Tayeb, the defending champion, had put together a superb run of form in Chicago, which saw her win the 2018 title while she also reached the final of the PSA Women’s World Championship when it was held at Union Station last season.

However, the World No.5 cut an increasingly frustrated figure as she surrendered a one-game lead against Elaraby. The two-time World Junior Champion had never beaten El Tayeb on the PSA World Tour, but that all changed as the 19-year-old cemented her credentials as a future challenger to the world’s elite, winning 6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 to send shockwaves through the draw of this $250k PSA Platinum tournament.

“It feels amazing, this win means a lot to me,” said Elaraby. “It actually gave me confidence that I can beat top 10 players, and I’m really happy with this win. It’s totally different than the Nationals, there is more of a vibe here.

“I’ve never been here playing at this venue, and I feel comfortable playing on this court. The crowd is amazing as well, so I’m very happy playing here.”

In the next round, Elaraby will play England’s Lucy Turmel, who is through to the third round of a PSA Platinum event for the first time courtesy of a surprise 3-2 win over No.13 seed Victoria Lust.

Meanwhile, Shahin will take on United States No.2 Olivia Blatchford Clyne next as both players aim to reach their first Platinum quarter-final. Shahin went up against King on the traditional plaster court rather than the glass, and that seemed to suit her game as she took an 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 victory in just 22 minutes.

Elsewhere, World No.1 Raneem El Welily kickstarted her attempts to win a fourth Windy City Open title after recovering from a slow start to beat England’s Julianne Courtice by an 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 scoreline.

After beating Canada’s Danielle Letourneau in the previous round, Courtice vowed to take the game to El Welily, and she certainly did that in the early stages, playing some well-constructed rallies to go 6-2 ahead. El Welily soon found her range though, taking eight of the next 10 points to go a game to the good and she followed that up with further wins in games two and three to reach the last 16.

“I didn’t really know what to expect, but I’m definitely happy with the match today,” said El Welily. “I’ve seen her results, I know what she is capable of, but being on court with her is definitely something different. I’m very pleased to be through with a 3-0 win and I wish her all the best.”

United States No.1 Amanda Sobhy will join El Welily in the third round after quickly dispatching Hong Kong’s Liu Tsz-Ling, while there were also wins for World No.2 Nouran Gohar, World No.3 Camille Serme and World No.7 Sarah-Jane Perry. 

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In the men’s event, World No.17 Omar Mosaad achieved his first win over French veteran Gregory Gaultier at the 12th attempt after coming through a brutal 71-minute battle. Gaultier marked his comeback from a 15-month spell on the sidelines with victory over Mosaad at the J.P. Morgan Tournament of Champions last month, while he also defeated the former World No.3 to win the 2015 PSA Men’s World Championship.

However, Mosaad finally ended his hoodoo against the former World No.1, coming back from 2-1 down to win 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 in 71 minutes.

“We played last month at the Tournament of Champions and it was 3-2 there, so I tried as much as I could to calm down and to start well [in the fifth], but he took the first three points,” said Mosaad afterwards.

“I had to try and just keep going, to keep playing my game, and I did a good job to come back to win, especially against such an experienced player like Greg.”

Mosaad will line up against No.1 seed Ali Farag for a place in the last eight after Farag survived a tough test against Hong Kong’s Leo Au.

It wasn’t a straightforward match for the World No.2, who won the PSA World Championship title in Chicago 12 months ago at Union Station. Farag saw a one-game lead wiped out as Au grew into the match and showcased his impressive retrieving abilities in the second, but he ultimately came through to win 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5.

“I’m very happy. Leo injects pace without injecting pace in a very weird way,” said Farag, who was playing his first match since losing the World No.1 spot to Mohamed ElShorbagy on February 1.

“The subtleties he has with the height on the front wall and the attacks with a basic line are really deceptive. The court for some reason is a lot faster this year, and it’s hard to adapt to. I was so scared to go short so he doesn’t go and flatten it out, so I was a little too passive.”

ElShorbagy made a winning start to life at World No.1 after axing England’s Daryl Selby in straight games, while his younger brother Marwan fell to a surprise defeat against World No.37 Youssef Soliman.

France’s Mathieu Castagnet also upset the seedings as the World No.22 downed India’s World No.13 Saurav Ghosal after 100 minutes of action, while World No.3 Tarek Momen is also through after defeating Germany’s Raphael Kandra in straight games.

England’s Declan James and Adrian Waller both won through in the bottom half of the draw and face challenging ties against (5) Paul Coll and (7) Simon Rosner tomorrow after a rest day today. Joel Makin (Wales) overcame Gregoire Marche and meets (6) Diego Elias today in a thorough examination of the best of British talent.

All the action from the University Club of Chicago’s Cathedral Hall will be shown live on SQUASHTV (rest of world), Eurosport Player (Europe only) and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour. 

2020 Windy City Open presented by the Walter Family, University Hall, Chicago, USA.

PSA $250k Platinum Men’s Second Round:
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) bt Leo Au (HKG) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-3, 11-5 (38m)
Omar Mosaad (EGY) bt Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 3-2: 7-11, 12-10, 7-11, 11-7, 11-6 (71m)
Joel Makin (WAL) bt Gregoire Marche (FRA) 3-1: 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-4 (63m)
[6] Diego Elias (PER) bt Fares Dessouky (EGY) 3-0: 11-4, 11-7, 11-6 (38m)
Youssef Soliman (EGY) bt [8] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) 3-1: 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5 (49m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Nicolas Mueller (SUI) 3-0: 11-8, 11-4, 13-11 (47m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) bt Arturo Salazar (MEX) 3-2: 12-10, 11-8, 5-11, 5-11, 11-6 (63m)
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) bt Raphael Kandra (GER) 3-0: 11-8, 11-3, 12-10 (31m)
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) bt Miguel Rodriguez (COL) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 11-7 (47m)
Mathieu Castagnet (FRA) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 3-2: 11-9, 8-11, 14-16, 15-13, 12-10 (100m)
Adrian Waller (ENG) bt Zahed Salem (EGY) 3-1: 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-8 (54m)
[7] Simon Rösner (GER) bt Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) 3-2: 8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8 (73m)
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Greg Lobban (SCO) 3-0: 11-6, 11-8, 11-5 (53m)
Declan James (ENG) bt Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT) 3-1: 11-9, 12-10, 13-15, 11-9 (70m)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-0: 11-6, 11-6, 12-10 (37m)
[2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt Daryl Selby (ENG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 (30m)

Men’s Third Round (Top Half today):
[1] Ali Farag (EGY) v Omar Mosaad (EGY)
Joel Makin (WAL) v [6] Diego Elias (PER)
Youssef Soliman (EGY) v Borja Golan (ESP)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu (ESP) v [3] Tarek Momen (EGY)

Men’s Third Round (Bottom Half tomorrow, March 1):
[4] Karim Abdel Gawad (EGY) v Mathieu Castagnet (FRA)
Adrian Waller (ENG) v [7] Simon Rösner (GER)
[5] Paul Coll (NZL) v Declan James (ENG)
Mazen Hesham (EGY) v [2] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY)

PSA $250k Platinum Women’s Second Round: 
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) bt Julianne Courtice (ENG) 3-0: 11-8, 11-6, 11-5 (26m)
[12] Salma Hany (EGY) bt Coline Aumard (FRA) 3-0: 11-6, 11-7, 11-7 (29m)
[15] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) bt Emily Whitlock (ENG) 3-0: 11-5, 11-8, 11-7 (29m)
Nadine Shahin (EGY) bt [6] Joelle King (NZL) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-4 (22m)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) bt Liu Tsz-Ling (HKG) 3-0: 11-1, 11-0, 11-4 (17m)
[10] Annie Au (HKG) bt Hollie Naughton (CAN) 3-2: 11-13, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-7 (51m)
[16] Nele Gilis (BEL) bt Millie Tomlinson (ENG) 3-1: 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 11-3 (57m)
[3] Nouran Gohar (EGY) bt Low Wee Wern (MAS) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-2 (25m)
Rowan Elaraby (EGY) bt [4] Nour El Tayeb (EGY) 3-1: 6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 (36m)
Lucy Turmel (ENG) bt [13] Victoria Lust (ENG) 3-2: 7-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-6, 11-9 (55m)
[14] Yathreb Adel (EGY) bt Sabrina Sobhy (USA) 3-0: 12-10, 11-9, 11-1 (32m)
[8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG) bt Melissa Alves (ENG) 3-0: 14-12, 12-10, 11-8 (37m)
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) bt Mariam Metwally (EGY) 3-0: 11-2, 11-3, 1-0 rtd. (15m)
[9] Hania El Hammamy (EGY) bt Tinne Gilis (BEL) 3-1: 9-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-8 (44m)
Donna Lobban (AUS) bt [11] Joshna Chinappa (IND) 3-1: 11-6, 7-11, 11-8, 11-8 (39m)
[2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY) bt Joey Chan (HKG) 3-0: 11-6, 11-4, 12-10 (23m)

Women’s Third Round (Top Half today):
[1] Raneem El Welily (EGY) v [12] Salma Hany (EGY)
[15] Olivia Blatchford Clyne (USA) v Nadine Shahin (EGY)
[7] Amanda Sobhy (USA) v [10] Annie Au (HKG)
[16] Nele Gilis (BEL) v [3] Nouran Gohar (EGY)

Women’s Third Round (Bottom Half tomorrow, March 1):
Rowan Elaraby (EGY) v Lucy Turmel (ENG)
[14] Yathreb Adel (EGY) v [8] Sarah-Jane Perry (ENG)
[5] Camille Serme (FRA) v [9] Hania El Hammamy (EGY)
Donna Lobban (AUS) v [2] Nour El Sherbini (EGY)

Pictures courtesy of PSA

This year's four-team Women's T20 Challenge will be played on the sidelines of the IPL playoffs at Sawai Mansingh Stadium in Jaipur, which had also hosted last year's competition.

The BCCI confirmed via a release on Saturday that the expanded tournament - seven matches as against four last time and just one the year before - would be played "during the IPL Playoff and Finals week", which will be after the league stage of the competition ends on May 17.

ALSO READ: The case for a bigger, better Women's T20 Challenge next year

The first edition in 2018, had a one-off game between Harmanpreet Kaur's Supernovas and Smriti Mandhana's Trailblazers at Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium, while a third team - Velocity, led by Mithali Raj - was added in 2019, where the matches were played in a single round-robin format followed by a final, where Supernovas beat Velocity. They had won the inaugural edition too.

Last year, 39 players including several top overseas stars, were divided among the three teams.

Toss Multan Sultans chose to bat v Quetta Gladiators

Multan Sultans won the toss, and for the first time in the PSL this season, a side elected to bat first. Multan were looking for a fourth win of the season in what will be the last match against a Quetta Gladiators outfit who, like them, had three wins in four games. Multan captain Shan Masood said his side had opted to bat for because he believed the spinners would come into the game later and help restrict the opposition. They made two changes to the side, with Shahid Afridi replaced by Bilawal Bhatti, while James Vince returned at Ravi Bopara's expense.

Quetta Gladiators came into the game playing just three overseas players, with Anwar Ali replacing Tymal Mills. Ahmed Shehzad sat out, too, with Ahsan Ali taking his place at the top of the order. Victory for either side would see them pull away with a two-point lead at the top.

Multan Sultans: Shan Masood (capt), James Vince, Rilee Rossouw, Khushdil Shah, Zeeshan Ashraf (wk), Moeen Ali, Sohail Tanvir, Bilawal Bhatti, Mohammad Ilyas, Imran Tahir, Mohammad Irfan

Quetta Gladiators: Jason Roy, Shane Watson, Ahsan Ali, Azam Khan, Sarfaraz Ahmed (capt&wk), Ben Cutting, Mohammad Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Sohail Khan, Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah

LOS ANGELES -- After suffering their worst loss of the season Friday, a brutal 132-103 beatdown by the LA Clippers at Staples Center, the Denver Nuggets were left reeling.

Nuggets coach Mike Malone called the team "soft." And Nuggets guard Monte Morris said that if the team wanted to take the next step toward being a title contender, "we can throw it out the window if we ain't going to show up in [these] games."

While the game marked one of the Clippers' most impressive performances of the season, it was also an eyebrow-raising defeat for the Nuggets, who entered as the No. 2 team in the Western Conference standings -- one spot ahead of the Clippers.

"We were soft tonight from beginning to end," Malone said. "They didn't feel us on either end. They got whatever they wanted. We couldn't run offense because they took us out of our stuff, and we just allowed them to do it for 48 minutes. They're a good team, but I'm just very disappointed in our competitive spirit and our effort."

Malone said the Nuggets were "awful" Friday night but went on to credit the Clippers.

"They sent a message," he said. "They came out and hit us in the mouth and we never responded, and that's the most disappointing thing about it. We came into this game thinking it was just going to be a standard NBA game. They approached this game like something was on the line, and you could tell a difference from the jump ball all the way until the final buzzer."

The Nuggets have suffered eight losses this season by double digits, and all but one were on the road. But five of those losses were against top-eight conference teams.

After the game, the Nuggets did not allow media into the locker room. Instead, only two players, Morris and center Nikola Jokic, came out to speak to reporters.

Morris said that fellow Nuggets guard Will Barton gave a five-minute speech to the team in the locker room after the humiliating defeat and conveyed how opposing teams consider the Nuggets to be soft.

"They think if they get into us, they can disorient anything we do," Morris said. "They did that tonight. Our offense was stagnant from [the start]. They weren't feeling us on defense. I think going forward, these teams we've got to beat to be elite. If we talk about [a] championship, we can throw it out the window if we ain't going to show up in [these] games."

Morris added, "I feel like from [the start], they let it be known [that] they [were] going to be in our s--- all night and they definitely did."

Morris also harped on the need for Nuggets players to hold one another accountable. "Until we do that, I don't think we'll be ready to make that step," he said.

Jokic, who finished with 21 points and nine rebounds, was more muted about the defeat.

"We've had a lot of bad losses," Jokic said. "Maybe this is just, as you guys say, maybe a little bit more important. But it's still not the end of the world. We've had a lot of losses against teams that have a worse record than us. We've responded well."

But Morris pointed to the Nuggets' experience.

"This is not the youngest team who [is] just scratching the surface," he said. "Everybody knows [we're] good and they get up for us. Going forward, we just got to be ready. ... It ain't the end of the day, but [it's] definitely a wake-up call to get back right."

LOS ANGELES -- Doc Rivers wasn't able to run the LA Clippers' morning shootaround, so he asked one of his players a few hours before Friday's game how the team looked.

"One of our key guys [said] don't worry about it, we're locked in today," Rivers said. "So, I didn't know if I believed it, to be honest, because you have to see it."

It took only five minutes for the Clippers to show their coach how focused they were and to give the Denver Nuggets a terrifying glimpse of their championship potential when at full strength.

Racing out to a 17-4 lead and never looking back, the Clippers played what Rivers admitted was their most complete game. They steamrolled the Nuggets 132-103 in a matchup between the two teams vying for the second-best record in the Western Conference.

"I would say with us being healthy, full roster, yes," guard Paul George said when asked if this was the Clippers' most complete game of the season.

In a season disrupted by injuries and new additions, the Clippers were at full strength for only the seventh time and improved to 7-0 when having a full roster available.

This was only the third consecutive game in which the Clippers ran out their current starting five of Patrick Beverley, George, Kawhi Leonard, Marcus Morris and Ivica Zubac. The Clippers not only won their third straight game but they completely blindsided the Nuggets as they pulled even with Denver at 40-19 behind the West-leading Los Angeles Lakers (45-12).

They led from start to finish and by as much as 33 points. The Clippers, who had lost a season-high three straight prior to this current winning streak, have been inconsistent, with injuries to key players such as Leonard, George and Beverley. But they've also shown what they can do when they are motivated and focused, as in their two victories against the Lakers and now this thrashing of the Nuggets.

"I mean sky's the limit," Leonard said when seeing what the Clippers are capable of when focused and inspired. "We have very talented players, we got some youth, veterans and when it's all put together, I feel like we can be one of the top teams. It's about just keep sustaining our health and trusting each other and just taking it one game at a time."

The Clippers scored 130 points for the 11th time this season, but their defense was perhaps even more impressive. Nuggets All-Star center Nikola Jokic had 21 points and nine rebounds but only two assists, while Jamal Murray was held to 11 points as Leonard, George and Beverley took turns on Murray in the first half.

The Clippers bench scored 73 points, with four subs scoring in double figures led by Montrezl Harrell's 18 points and 10 rebounds. New addition Reggie Jackson had his best game as a Clipper with 10 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists.

"We probably have the best second unit in the league," Morris said. "I look around the league and don't see no second unit that is even close to ours."

While Rivers wasn't there to see it at shootaround, George said he knew the Clippers had that same laser focus they had in their only two meetings against the Lakers.

"It's not even about how the game plays," George said. "It is about how we are prepared. Going into this morning we were sharp, we were prepared. We were locked in. There was no slippage in shootaround and that trickled into the game."

World number two Rafael Nadal has reached the final of the Mexican Open by beating Grigor Dimitrov.

The 33-year-old Spaniard, who remains on course for his third Mexican title, cruised past the Bulgarian 6-3 6-2 in the semi-final.

He will face 22-year-old Taylor Fritz, who had to come from behind against fellow American John Isner 2-6 7-5 6-3 in Acapulco.

World number 35 Fritz beat Britain's Kyle Edmund in the last eight.

Fritz has never played Nadal, who has won every set on his way to his third Mexican final, 15 years after his first.