The chief defense lawyer in Oscar Pistorius' murder trial sought on Wednesday to undermine the prosecution testimony of a couple who say they heard screams and gunfire the night the athlete fatally shot his girlfriend, saying similarities in their accounts indicated that they had aligned their versions at the expense of the truth.

Charl Johnson, a neighbor of the double-amputee runner, had resumed his testimony on the third day of the trial after telling the court in Pretoria, the South African capital, that he heard the cries of a terrified woman and shooting around the time that Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp in what the athlete said was an accident in the early hours of Valentine's Day last year.

Houston brought LeBron James and his Miami teammates back to earth, a day after he scored a record 61 points, by beating the Heat 106-103 on Tuesday.

Miami had the consolation of knowing NBA Eastern Conference title rival Indiana also lost, beaten by a last-second Golden State basket; keeping the Pacers' advantage over the Heat at two games.

World Cup champion Spain welcomes Italy at Vicente Calderon Stadium on Wednesday, as both teams try out new players.

Respective coaches Vicente del Bosque and Cesare Prandelli are sampling their options for the World Cup in three months. Here are five things to know about the match between the Mediterranean rivals:

The strains of “God Save The Queen” have died down by the time a local businessman, standing on a 10-foot-high plinth in the middle of a town-center car park, tosses a leather ball into a vast sea of bodies.

Hundreds of men of all ages and builds, wearing a combination of rugby jerseys, hoodies and fleeces, grapple and tussle — in fact, use any means necessary — in frenzied attempts to grab the ball.

A psychiatrist can't transform players into Johan Cruyff or Diego Maradona, but the England staff are confident Dr. Steve Peters will help the team be ready for the World Cup.

England manager Roy Hodgson confirmed on Tuesday he will use the sports psychiatrist in the lead-up to the tournament in Brazil.

A group representing Europe's football clubs presented a study Tuesday that defends football's current transfer system, which the international footballers' union wants to overhaul.

"We wanted to have a picture of the situation to explain it from inside the industry. We found out the actual transfer system is working," AC Milan director Umberto Gandini said.

Barcelona defender Carles Puyol has decided to leave the club at the end of the season, preferring to take some time off after several injury-filled seasons and putting his football future in doubt.

The 35-year-old Puyol has spent his entire career with Barcelona, debuting in 1999. But he has made only 12 appearances this season after returning from a long-term knee injury in October.

Per Mertesacker and Tomas Rosicky have signed new contracts with Arsenal.

The Premier League club did not reveal the length of the deals but manager Arsene Wenger said both internationals "have committed their futures to the club."

Germany begins its World Cup preparations in earnest with Wednesday's friendly against Chile in Stuttgart.

Coach Joachim Loew has been at pains to focus his players' attention on the World Cup with 99 days to go. Preparations to date have been far from ideal, with key players injured, returning from injury or simply not in form. Chile is also gearing up for the tournament in Brazil. Here are five things to know ahead of the teams' seventh meeting:

Newcastle manager Alan Pardew is facing a long stadium ban after being charged Monday by the English Football Association with improper conduct for headbutting an opposing player during a Premier League match.

Pardew has already been sanctioned by Newcastle, accepting a formal warning and a 100,000 pound ($168,000) fine following his confrontation with Hull midfielder David Meyler on Saturday.