Erik ten Hag hailed Alex Ferguson as the defining personality in Manchester United's recent history following his induction into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The league confirmed on Wednesday that Ferguson and his former rival Arsene Wenger are the first two inductees of 2023.

During a remarkable 27-year managerial stint at Old Trafford, Ferguson took standards to an altogether different level and he arguably remains the benchmark.

He took charge in 1986, six years before the foundation of the Premier League, and went on to win the competition 13 times – that is nine more than any other coach or manager.

United are waiting for their first Premier League title since Ferguson's retirement in 2013, and Ferguson's legacy still lauds over every manager who arrives at the club.

Ten Hag is the latest to try his luck and recognises the influence held by Ferguson, which is acting as a guide for the Dutchman as he looks to bring the glory days back to Old Trafford.

"You feel it every day because he left a legacy and Manchester United is Alex Ferguson," Ten Hag told the Premier League.

"He set the highest standards, the highest values, and brought the winning attitude. He built that in the club… and that is the standard that you must face if you want to play for Manchester United or work for Manchester United.

"First of all, he knew when to rebuild and reconstruct a new team because he did it over two decades and every time he was successful. He did it with a balance of homegrown players and bringing big stars in.

"He got the best out of it, like working with Eric Cantona, working with [Ruud] van Nistelrooy, [Robin] van Persie, Wayne Rooney.

"That is huge if you are able to handle those personalities, but also to let them play as a team. That was always one of his most important qualities – that the team is always above any individual. It's difficult to construct one winning team. He did it so many times!”

Ten Hag was spotted having dinner with Ferguson in February before United played host to Barcelona in the Europa League.

At the time he spoke of how "committed" Ferguson still was to the club with his desire to help those who came after him.

Now, he is hoping to make such meetings more of a regular occurrence, such is Ferguson's wealth of experience.

"His experience is huge, so with all the knowledge he can help you with, he can," Ten Hag added.

"I'm really pleased that he wants to share his knowledge with me. It's great to talk and learn from him, and I hope we can do it more often."

Steve Kerr credited Draymond Green with "willing" the Golden State Warriors to victory in their comeback win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

Green scored eight points and provided 13 assists, four turnovers and two steals to help complete a 120-109 turnaround triumph for the reigning NBA champions at Chase Center.

Golden State were trailing by 17 points after a lacklustre first half, but Green sparked the team into life, earning the credit from his coach.

"Draymond willed us to victory tonight," said Kerr. "Just the intensity, the frustration early with the way we were playing.

"Mad at the world, yelling at everybody – their bench, our bench – and frankly, we deserved it."

Green's first spark came late in the second quarter when he picked up his 17th technical foul for a shove on Brandon Ingram.

The pair exchanged words, amongst some shoving, and were issued Ts.

He will be fined $5,000 if the technical foul does not get rescinded over the next 24 hours - which Green thinks it will be - but if it does not, the Warriors forward believes it was worth it.

"It was perfect," said Green. "Perfectly executed. We looked dead those first 18 minutes. We had to find some energy somewhere.

"It wasn't just going to come, especially after losing the game like we did last game [99-96 to Minnesota Timberwolves].

"That can carry over. I felt like it did. I knew we had to do something and do it fast before the game got out of hand."

Green almost picked up another technical foul 20 seconds later after colliding with Herbert Jones but following more shoving and a video review, no Ts were assessed.

"I've got to play with the same intensity I try to play with each and every time I step on the court," added Green.

"I can't worry about that. For me, if I'm going to change my intensity level, then why be out there?"

Following Green's clash with Jones, Stephen Curry got involved in the scrum yelling at Pelicans players and giving some shoves.

"He knows that guys are backing him up," said Curry. "I'm sure [Green] wouldn't go out on an island like that if he didn't have that confidence.

"There are times when I've got to keep him in check and bring him back in when it's turning in the wrong direction in the sense of staying focused on just winning."

The Warriors outscored the Pelicans 74-46 in the second half, shooting 70 per cent to help complete their second-biggest comeback of the season.

Curry scored or assisted half of the points Golden State won after half-time.

Green said: "When I turned it up a notch, [Curry] turned it up another two notches.

"We all hopped in line and followed him, and he was locked in. No one was stopping him."

The Warriors are now sixth in the Western Conference, holding just a half-game advantage over the Timberwolves in seventh with five rounds left of the regular season.

"It feels like we've been in a playoff vibe for a couple of weeks now," said Curry.

"The only difference is you're playing a different team every night. But it's the same kind of adrenaline rush that we're getting. Every game does matter.

"We have a competitive spirit that's unmatched. And it's been that way for a decade."

Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger have been inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

The great rivals are the first managers to enter the Hall of Fame, which was established in 2021.

Ferguson managed Manchester United from the start of the Premier League era until his retirement in 2013, winning a record 13 titles.

Wenger led Arsenal to three championships in the longest-serving reign in competition history – from 1996 until 2018.

Only Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola (four) and Roma coach Jose Mourinho (three) have joined Ferguson and Wenger in winning multiple titles.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters said: "We are delighted to welcome our first two managers into the Premier League Hall of Fame.

"Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger both made a remarkable contribution to the history of football in this country.   

"They brought unparalleled levels of success to Manchester United and Arsenal respectively, raising standards and thrilling fans with a rivalry which resulted in an astonishing 16 title wins between them."

Ferguson added: "I'm truly delighted to be inducted into the Premier League Hall of Fame. It's an honour when you receive recognition like this.

"However, it's not just about me as a person. It's about the job at Manchester United and the bond we had over many years, so I'm also proud for the club, the staff and my players.

"My job was to send the fans home happy. United's history and my own expectations were the things that drove me, and I then had to try and develop all my players with the same expectations and make sure we could go out and achieve them."

Wenger said: "I am very grateful to have been selected for the Premier League Hall of Fame.

"We always wanted to give something special to the fans, and when you have players capable of remarkable things, the most important thing for me is the obligation of perfection.

"I'd like to be known as someone who loved Arsenal, who respected the values of the club and left it in a position where it can grow and become even bigger."

The pair join 16 players in the Hall of Fame, with three more to be voted in by fans from a 15-man shortlist announced on Thursday.

Jaylen Brown did not want to make excuses but acknowledged "everything was going wrong for us" after the Boston Celtics' upset loss at the Washington Wizards.

The Celtics had the opportunity to close to within one win of the Milwaukee Bucks and the number one seed in the East on Wednesday.

Instead, they went down 130-111 to a Wizards team missing Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma.

One of the Celtics' team buses was stuck in traffic for around an hour before the game, and although Boston recovered to make a solid start, it was the first sign of the troublesome night that was to come.

"Tonight it just seemed like everything was going right for Washington; everything was going wrong for us," Brown said.

"On top of all the stuff that was happening before the game... but I'm not one to make no excuses."

The Celtics had recovered from a run of three straight defeats in early March to win seven of the next nine before visiting the Wizards.

While Boston are now 2.5 games back, Brown knows they cannot afford this one-off defeat to become part of a slump.

After the Bucks play the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, they welcome the Celtics to Wisconsin the following night.

"Games like this are not supposed to happen. You're supposed to win," Brown said. "But it's over with now, nothing we can do about it.

"I'm not concerned, because the way my brain works is you have just got to look forward to what's next.

"You don't want one bad night to turn into three bad nights or a bad week. Nobody wants to see that. We don't want to see that, so you don't harp on it.

"Obviously, we dropped the ball. But now you have just got to refocus and get ready for the next one."

Carlos Alcaraz does not disagree with Novak Djokovic's assertion of being the best player in the world, as the Spaniard outlined his hope of facing the 22-time major winner at full fitness.

Alcaraz has played Djokovic once before, overcoming the Serbian en route to triumphing at last year's Madrid Open.

The teenager's success in Madrid marked his fifth tour-level title, and his second at an ATP 1000 event.

Earlier in March, Alcaraz claimed his third ATP 1000 title with victory at the Indian Wells Open, seeing the 19-year-old leapfrog Djokovic – who has been unable to compete in the United States due to his COVID-19 vaccination status – back to the top of the world rankings.

Djokovic claimed in interview with The National in February that he was still the best player in the world when at 100 per cent fitness.

Alcaraz, for his part, shares that view.

"Well, it is tough one, but, I have to play against Novak when he's at 100 per cent," Alcaraz told reporters after beating Tommy Paul at the Miami Open, where he is defending champion.

"I would say in Madrid he played really, really well. So it was close. But I agree with him. When he's 100 per cent, probably the best player in the world.

"What Novak has achieved, the level of Novak for example in Australia was unbelievable, really high.

"So as I said before, I really want to play against Novak when he's 100 per cent and I'm sure I'm going to enjoy it. That's all I can say right now."

Alcaraz remains on course for the Sunshine Double – winning both the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open in the same season.

"I try not to think about that but it's difficult," he said. "You know, it's something that I really want. I want to be part of the few players that won the Sunshine Double.

"So for me, would be great to achieve that, but it's something that I try not think about and try to think about day by day, match by match, and that's all. 

"But of course it could be great to be part of that group of few players."

Eleven players, including Djokovic – on four occasions – have won the Sunshine Double, with WTA number one Iga Swiatek the latest to achieve the feat last season.

Second seed Stefanos Tsitsipas was bundled out of the Miami Open in straight sets during Tuesday's fourth round by 2022 US Open semi-finalist Karen Khachanov.

The Russian 14th seed prevailed 7-6 (7-4) 6-4 over Tsitsipas in one hour and 34 minutes, powering 25 winners and making only nine unforced errors, compared to the Greek's 14.

Khachanov's triumph ended a winless 0-6 head-to-head record against Tsitsipas, while it also snapped his own 23-match losing streak against top-10 opponents.

The Russian, who also made this year's Australian Open semi-finals, has qualified for four of his six tour-level events this year.

Khachanov will take on 25th seed Francisco Cerundolo in the quarter-finals, with the Argentinian fighting back to get past Lorenzo Sonego 3-6 6-3 6-2 in just over two hours.

Defending champion and top seed Carlos Alcaraz had less trouble against Tommy Paul, cruising into the quarter-finals with a 6-4 6-4 victory.

Alcaraz won the winners' count 24-9, setting up a quarter-final clash with ninth seed Taylor Fritz, as the Spanish 19-year-old chases a rare Sunshine Double, having won last week's Indian Wells Open.

Fritz progressed after getting past seventh seed Holger Rune 6-3 6-4 in 86 minutes, sending down eight aces and 22 winners for the match.

Fourth seed Daniil Medvedev played late into the evening after a lengthy rain delay in Miami, but made light work of Quinten Halys 6-4 6-2, triumphing just past 1:30am local time.

Medvedev, who is into his third straight Miami quarter-final, will face American qualifier Christopher Eubanks in the last eight after he got past Frenchman Adrian Mannarino 7-6 (7-2) 7-6 (7-5) in another rain-delayed contest.

Italian 10th seed Jannik Sinner knocked off sixth seed Andrey Rublev 6-2 6-4, advancing to face Emil Ruusuvuori after he beat Botic van de Zandschulp 4-6 6-4 7-5.

Elena Rybakina is now two wins away from completing the rare 'Sunshine Double' after defeating Martina Trevisan 6-3 6-0 to reach the Miami Open semi-finals on Tuesday.

Only four women have ever claimed the Sunshine Double – which requires winning both the Indian Wells Open and Miami Open. Steffi Graf did it in both 1994 and 1996, Kim Clijsters did it in 2005, Victoria Azarenka accomplished the feat in 2016 and current world number one Iga Swiatek did it just 12 months ago.

Rybakina knocked off Swiatek and world number two Aryna Sabalenka in consecutive matches en route to the Indian Wells title, and she has now extended her winning streak to 12 with Tuesday's victory. Against Trevisan, Rybakina served another 10 aces compared to zero from the Italian.

In her fourth-round match the Kazakhstan representative became the first WTA player this season to post three consecutive matches with at least 10 aces, and with another she became the first woman since Serena Williams at the 2020 US Open to do so in four consecutive matches at the same tournament.

She needed just 27 minutes to race through the second set, and in the process she booked a semi-final against third seed Jessica Pegula.

America's top hope, Pegula had to come from behind against Russia's Anastasia Potapova in the 4-6 6-3 7-6 (7-2) result, saving two match points in the deciding set to force the pivotal tiebreaker.

The match was delayed for hours due to persistent rain, and the contest lasted two hours and 38 minutes, meaning they did not finish up on court until nearly 1:30am local time.

While consistently making it deep into major tournaments, Pegula only has two WTA singles titles to her name, and only once since the end of 2019. 

With one more win she can book her spot in the final, and a chance to claim her second WTA 1000 crown after breaking through at the 2022 Guadalajara Open.

The Golden State Warriors played an inspired second half to recover from a 20-point deficit and defeat the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 120-109 on Tuesday.

As usual, the Warriors were led by reigning NBA Finals MVP Stephen Curry with a game-high 39 points on 14-of-25 shooting, hitting eight-of-15 three-point attempts while adding eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals.

It was a rough start for Golden State as they found themselves trailing 63-43 late in the second quarter, but some early shenanigans between Draymond Green and the entire Pelicans team seemed to spur some life into the Warriors defense after the break.

In typical Warriors fashion, they exploded in the third quarter in front of their home fans, putting together a 39-26 period to cut the lead to four going into the last.

They ratcheted up the defense even further down the stretch, holding the visitors to just 20 points while piling on 35 of their own as Curry, Klay Thompson and Jordan Poole all drained deep triples to blow the roof off Chase Center.

Despite the loss, it was another strong showing from Pelicans centrepiece Brandon Ingram. After his first career triple-double on Thursday and a career-high 13 assists on Saturday, Ingram again looked every bit of an All-NBA initiator with a team-high 26 points (nine-of-22), eight rebounds and seven assists.

A loss for the Warriors would have seen them drop to 39-38 and potentially swap spots with the eighth-seeded Pelicans, but they instead improved to 40-37 and leapfrogged the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves (39-37) in the process.

Mitchell's 44 not enough for Cleveland

Donovan Mitchell dropped 44 points on the road but it was not enough as the Cleveland Cavaliers fell 120-118 to the Atlanta Hawks.

Mitchell shot 15-of-33 with five rebounds and five assists, while Darius Garland added 27 points (10-of-22) and Evan Mobley chipped in 20 points (10-of-13), 15 rebounds, four assists and four blocks – but the Hawks had all the answers.

Atlanta had seven players score double figures, led by Dejounte Murray's 29 (11-of-22). Trae Young ran the show with 10 assists on an off-shooting night (four-of-15 for 16 points), and the Hawks' bench delivered in a big way.

Backup center Onyeka Okongwu had a wildly efficient 20 minutes with 21 points (five-of-five from the field and 11-of-12 free throws), nine rebounds and three blocks, and trade deadline acquisition Saddiq Bey had 11 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

Hornets win a shootout in Oklahoma City

The Oklahoma City Thunder received 30-point efforts from Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and Isaiah Joe – but still lost 137-134 to the surprisingly in-form Charlotte Hornets.

Giddey had one of the best statistical games of his career with 31 points (14-of-22), 10 rebounds and nine assists; rookie Williams had 31 points (11-of-16), four assists and four steals; and Joe hit six-of-11 threes and 11-of-18 overall for his 33 points.

But P.J. Washington was not going to let the Hornets lose, scoring a career-high 43 points on 16-of-24 shooting as he added six rebounds and five assists in an eye-opening performance from the well-rounded six-foot-seven 24-year-old.

It was a standout showing off the bench for the spectacularly bouncy 22-year-old second-year center Kai Jones, collecting the first double-double of his career with 12 points (five-of-five) and 14 rebounds in 22 minutes.

The loss for the Thunder means they slipped to 37-39, still inside the play-in tournament placings, but now tied with the 11th-ranked Dallas Mavericks.

The stacked 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class was reportedly revealed on Tuesday with Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich making the cut.

Wade, Nowitzki, Gasol and Parker are all first-ballot selections after playing their final seasons in 2018-19, while it was also Popovich's first time on the ballot after previously declining Hall of Fame consideration in recent years.

Hammon's elevation was also considered simply a matter of time, with the six-time WNBA All-Star, former long-time San Antonio Spurs assistant and 2022 WNBA championship-winning coach with the Las Vegas Aces having put together a stellar resume since turning pro in 1999.

With Hammon's ties to the Spurs, it figures to be a special night for San Antonio fans as Parker and Popovich are enshrined, joining fellow linchpins of their dynasty Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili after their inductions in 2020 and 2022 respectively.

Popovich coached the Spurs to all five of their NBA titles – 1999, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2014 – while Parker contributed to the last four after arriving in 2001 following an impressive youth career in France.

The six-foot-two point guard made six All-Star teams, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team three seasons in a row from 2012-14 as the Spurs battled LeBron James' Miami Heat in a legendary rivalry.

His number nine jersey was retired by the Spurs, as is Nowitzki's number 41 jersey with the Dallas Mavericks.

Nowitzki, who for a long period was European basketball's biggest star, brought the Mavericks their only title in 2011 as he took down the Heat in James' first season there.

The German was named league MVP in 2007, and went on to make 14 All-Star teams, while earning 12 All-NBA selections, including four on the First Team in the space of five years.

While both Popovich and Nowitzki could headline a Hall of Fame class in any given year, that honour may go to Wade, who was the architect of all three of Miami's titles in 2006, 2012 and 2013.

Drafted in 2003, Wade ended up carrying the Heat – alongside Shaquille O'Neal – to their first ever championship in only his third season. 

It was the beginning of a run that saw him make 14 All-Star teams, eight All-NBA teams, and three NBA All-Defensive teams as he rivalled James and Kobe Bryant for the status of best player in the league in 2009 and 2010.

While Wade may have been at his peak in 2009 and 2010, both of those seasons ended with Gasol lifting the title with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Gasol spent just six-and-a-half seasons in Los Angeles, but it is where he will be most fondly remembered after making such a profound impact that he recently had his number 16 jersey retired into the rafters alongside running-mate Bryant.

Adding to his NBA resume was his spectacular international play, where he became the all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket play, averaging 20.4 per game in 58 appearances for his country, while also carrying Spain to their first ever FIBA World Cup gold medal in 2006.

Lionel Messi scored his 100th international goal before capping his performance with a first-half hat-trick as Argentina routed Curacao 7-0 during Tuesday's friendly in Santiago del Estero.

Messi came into the game on 99 international goals but did not need to wait long to bring up triple figures, netting a 20th-minute opener, in a lopsided match-up where the world champions raced to a 5-0 half-time lead.

The Argentinian captain played the entire 90 minutes, scoring three goals within 17 devastating first-half minutes, while he also laid off the assist for Enzo Fernandez's powerful strike among the flurry.

Messi was denied early on by Curacao goalkeeper Eloy Room's sharp save, but soon after Giovani Lo Celso found him in space inside the box, setting him up to jink past two defenders and fire in a low right-foot shot for his 100th Argentina goal.

Nicolas Gonzalez added a second in the 23rd minute when he out-jumped Room to head home from a corner, before he played provider for Messi's second with a neat left-foot finish in the 33rd minute.

Two minutes later, Messi held up the ball and dished out a deft pass for Fernandez to lash home, with the Paris Saint-Germain star wrapping up his hat-trick when he raced on to Lo Celso's lofted pass and coolly converted after taking two touches.

Room brilliantly denied Lautaro Martinez twice early in the second half, while Leandro Bacuna fizzed Curacao's best chance over the bar from a 63rd-minute free-kick on the edge of the box.

Substitute Angel Di Maria added a sixth goal from the penalty spot in the 78th minute after Cuco Martina's handball, with Gonzalo Montiel side-footing home another from Paulo Dybala's cutback in the 88th minute.

After Joel Embiid's calf injury robbed the NBA of a matchup between him and MVP rival Nikola Jokic on Monday, his Philadelphia 76ers turn their attention to another superstar opponent in Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks.

Embiid was accused by some of "ducking" the Denver Nuggets' two-time MVP Jokic, who inspired Denver to a 116-111 victory over the Sixers with his 29th triple-double of the season.

The Sixers were also without James Harden because of a sore left Achilles.

Whether Embiid and Harden will be back in the fold for the visit of the Mavs remains to be seen, but what is beyond doubt is that the Sixers will be facing a man on a mission in Doncic.

Doncic is aiming to drag the Mavericks into the playoffs and, having seen his 16th technical foul and a one-game suspension rescinded prior to Monday's game with the Indiana Pacers, the Slovenian subsequently starred with 25 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists to end Dallas' four-game losing streak.

He has averaged 31.1 points per game in March, a month he began by putting up 42 in a home win over the Sixers.

Despite his best efforts, the Mavs are still on the outside looking in as they seek a place in the Western Conference play-in tournament. With a 37-39 record, they are the 11th seed, but are just games behind the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are in position to enter the playoffs as the sixth seed.

The Mavs have six games with which to claw their way in to either the play-in or the playoffs outright. Ending the month how they began it against the current third seed in the East would be a big step towards securing a spot in the postseason.

PIVOTAL PERFORMERS

Philadelphia 76ers - Joel Embiid

With Embiid on the court, the Sixers average 118.2 points per 100 possessions compared to 111.5 without. Defensively, they concede 108 points per 100 possessions with Embiid and 112.3 without. That's a point differential of plus 10.2 when they have their MVP contender compared to minus 0.8 when he is absent.

In other words, he is worth 11 points per 100 possessions. It's obvious to say the Sixers need Embiid out there, but the numbers illustrate just how important he is.

Dallas Mavericks - Luka Doncic

Were the Mavs in a better position in the standings, Doncic might have his own compelling case for MVP. He is averaging a combined 49.7 points, assists and rebounds per game, the most in the NBA.

KEY BATTLE - Can Mavs limit Sixers' three-point prowess?

A strength for Dallas this season has been defending the three-ball. They have allowed opponents to shoot just 35 per cent from beyond the arc, with only six teams faring better than the Mavs in that regard. The Sixers, meanwhile, boast the second-best three-point shooting percentage in the NBA at 38.6. 

In that area of the game, it's a true strength-on-strength matchup that figures to go a long way to deciding if the Mavs can complete a season sweep.

HEAD TO HEAD

The Mavericks prevailed 133-126 in March in Dallas, but have not won in Philadelphia since December 2019.