Arsenal's Per Mertesacker has handed Germany coach Joachim Loew a pre-Euro 2012 boost by declaring himself fit for June's European Championships.

The 27-year-old center-back has been out since damaging ankle ligaments in the Gunners' 2-1 Premier League win over Sunderland in February, but expects to be fully fit for Euro 2012 which starts on June 8.

Paul Millsap scored 26 points as the Utah Jazz beat the Phoenix Suns 100-88 to clinch a Western Conference playoff berth.

The win snapped the Jazz's seven-game losing streak to the Suns.

Real Madrid are confident a hostile home support can help them overturn a 2-1 deficit against Bayern Munich on Wednesday in the second leg of their Champions League semifinal.

Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo spoke of the importance of the crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu after edging his side closer to their first Spanish league title in four years on Saturday with the decisive goal in a 2-1 win over Barcelona.

NBA disciplinary officials slapped Los Angeles Lakers forward Metta World Peace with a seven-game suspension for a vicious elbow to the head of Oklahoma City guard James Harden.

The ban came two days after World Peace, formerly known as Ron Artest, drove his left elbow into the side of Harden's head during a game at Staples Center arena.

U.S. Open winner Samantha Stosur said she was happy with her start to Stuttgart's WTA clay-court tournament on Tuesday after seeing off China's Shuai Peng in straight sets.

The 28-year-old Australian, who is the fifth seed here, needed less than an hour to see off Peng 6-2, 6-2 and was rarely tested by her Chinese opponent in her first round tie.

Lionel Messi missed a penalty as holders Barcelona were sent crashing out of the Champions League semi-finals after 10-man Chelsea battled to a 2-2 draw at the Camp Nou here Tuesday.

Chelsea, leading 1-0 from the first leg, snatched a 3-2 aggregate win on a night of extraordinary drama which saw the Premier League side recover from 2-0 down and the dismissal of Captain John Terry to reach next month's Munich final.

The San Antonio Spurs claimed the top seed in the Western Conference by routing the Portland Trail Blazers 124-89 behind 18 points each from Tim Duncan and Danny Green.

Tony Parker on Monday finished with 13 points, seven rebounds and six assists for the Spurs who won their eighth consecutive game.

Four thousand people are taking part in the biggest test run so far for the London Olympic games.

The nationwide three-day test starting Tuesday is going to involve Games organizers, the British government, emergency services, health providers and transport operators.

The Philadelphia 76ers earned the final National Basketball Association playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and spoiled the Nets' final game in New Jersey with a 105-87 win.

Thaddeus Young on Monday recorded 15 points in the second half to help the 76ers make the playoffs for the second consecutive year and eliminate the Milwaukee Bucks from the postseason race.

Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola declared Lionel Messi fit to play in Tuesday's Champions League showdown with Chelsea and laughed off concerns about the Argentinian's scoring record.

Despite a remarkable year which has left Messi four goals shy of equaling Gerd Muller's all-time single-season scoring record of 67, questions have been raised about the South American's failure to find the net in recent matches.