Los Angeles' Steve Blake hit a 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds remaining to lift the Lakers to a 99-98 victory over Houston and ex-teammate Dwight Howard on Thursday.

Also Thursday, Miami held off the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver edged Atlanta.

England coach Roy Hodgson has recognized Southampton's strong start to the season by calling up three players from the south-coast club for friendlies, including two who have never played for their country.

Striker Jay Rodgriguez has been included in the squad for the first time for the matches against Chile and Germany, having scored four goals for Southampton this season.

Former Brazil and Barcelona midfielder Rivaldo says he is leaving Brazilian second-division club Sao Caetano because of knee pain.

The 41-year-old player made the announcement through his official Twitter account on Thursday, saying he "was not able to recover from pain" in his knee.

After nearly a year of global travel and dozens of matches, most of Novak Djokovic's rivals are complaining about their mental and physical fatigue. Not the Serb, who thrives in the rigors of a tough autumn finish.

Unbeaten since his loss in the U.S. Open final to Rafael Nadal, Djokovic joined Nadal in the semifinals of the ATP World Tour Finals after overcoming strong resistance from Juan Martin del Potro on Thursday.

Tottenham, Fiorentina and Red Bull Salzburg made it four group wins out of four in the Europa League on Thursday to qualify for the knockout phase with two games to spare.

Record-signing Erik Lamela scored his first Tottenham goal before winning the penalty that Jermain Defoe converted to clinch a 2-1 victory over Sheriff Tiraspol in Group K.

A rocket carrying the Olympic flame successfully blasted off Thursday from earth ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

NASA Live TV showed the rocket, emblazoned with the pale blue Sochi 2014 logo, launching from the Russian-operated Baikonur cosmodrome on a clear morning in Kazakhstan.

Indiana's heavy offseason investment in squad development paid off Wednesday when Luis Scola, Donald Sloan and Lance Stephenson combined for all 12 points in a decisive fourth-quarter run, sending the still unbeaten Pacers past division rival Chicago 97-80 and to its best start since 1971-72.

"They brought all of us in to make the bench a little deeper than it was last year, and I think the guys on the bench know their role," Sloan said. "So it just fits."

Lionel Messi returned to form with two goals as Barcelona secured its spot in the knockout stage of the Champions League. Fellow Argentina forward Gonzalo Higuain also had a brace for Napoli. And Samuel Eto'o scored for his fourth different team.

On a night of standout individual performances Wednesday, Schalke goalkeeper Timo Hildebrand had a game he'll want to forget. His failed clearance led to Eto'o's opening goal in Chelsea's 3-0 win, which put Jose Mourinho's side atop Group E.

Lindsey Vonn eased into her first day of downhill training on Wednesday, with the four-time overall World Cup champion holding back on her opening run just to get used to that kind of speed again.

By her fifth and final pass at the U.S. Ski Team's speed center on Wednesday, Vonn was charging so hard through the two-mile course that she bent over in exhaustion soon after finishing, trying to catch her breath.

Miami's LeBron James scored a season-high 35 points to lead the Heat to a 104-95 win over Toronto on Tuesday, and joined an exclusive club by passing yet another personal milestone.

Among other games, Indiana beat Detroit to remain the NBA's only unbeaten team, Dallas had seven players in double figures as the Mavericks beat the Los Angeles Lakers, and Charlotte held on to beat a fast-finishing New York.