In brief: U.S. soccer back on track for 2018 World Cup with win, LeBron-less Cavs fall

soccer: The United States got back on track for a berth in the 2018 World Cup, ending four nervous days with a 4-0 win over Guatemala on Tuesday night in Columbus, Ohio, behind goals from Clint Dempsey, Geoff Cameron, Graham Zusi and Jozy Altidore.

Following a dismal 2-0 loss at Guatemala City on Friday night in which Jurgen Klinsmann played several players out of their most comfortable positions, the U.S. coach made five lineup changes and shifted two others into their more usual spots.

Dempsey scored 12 minutes in and Cameron doubled the lead in the 35th. Zusi, added to the roster on Sunday, added a goal just 20 seconds into the second half and Jozy Altidore capped the scoring in the 89th.

A loss would have made it virtually impossible for the U.S. to finish among the top two teams in the group and reach the six-nation finals of North and Central America and the Caribbean, but the victory put the U.S. in good position to advance. The Americans are 27-0-2 at home in qualifying since 2001.

Rockets rally against LeBron-less Cavs

NBA: James Harden scored 27 points and the Houston Rockets rallied from a 20-point deficit for a 106-100 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, in Cleveland, Ohio, with the Cavs resting LeBron James.

Harden scored 18 points in the fourth quarter and Houston outscored Cleveland 35-16 in the period.

Dwight Howard’s free throw with 2:13 left put Houston ahead 95-94. Harden’s 3-pointer made it 98-94 before Kyrie Irving hit a 3-pointer with 1:30 left, making it a one-point game.

Holiday, Gee to miss rest of season: The New Orleans Pelicans say guard Jrue Holiday and forward Alonzo Gee will miss the rest of this season because of injuries, joining a slew of sidelined teammates.

Both Holiday and Gee were injured in Monday night’s victory over the New York Knicks.

The Pelicans said Holiday’s orbital eyewall was fractured when he was hit by an inadvertent elbow. Gee ruptured a muscle in his right thigh.

Rockets, Pelicans to play preseason games in China:

The Houston Rockets will return to China next fall to play two preseason games against the New Orleans Pelicans.

The teams will play Oct. 9 in Shanghai, followed by a game in Beijing on Oct. 12.

The Rockets are popular in China because of Yao Ming, who starred for them from 2002-11. They played in Shanghai, Yao’s hometown, in 2004.

Paul declines to play with U.S team: Chris Paul won’t play for the U.S. basketball team in this summer’s Olympics, passing up a chance for a third gold medal.

Paul played for the U.S. in 2008 and 2012 and could have joined LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony in trying to become the first players to win three Olympic basketball golds.

USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo says the Clippers guard had told him previously he wasn’t sure about returning, and finally decided he was definitely out. Colangelo says he understands the decision.

Harrell suspended five games: Houston Rockets forward Montrezl Harrell has been suspended five games without pay in the NBA Development League for pushing a referee to the floor during an altercation.

Also, Bakersfield forward Derek Cooke Jr. was suspended one game without pay for pushing Harrell during that skirmish.

It happened right after Bakersfield completed a 119-115 victory over Rio Grande, where Harrell is on assignment from the Rockets.

Wild extend winning steak to six games

NHL: Jared Spurgeon, Erik Haula and Nino Niederreiter scored in the third period to lift surging Minnesota to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in St. Paul, Minnesota, stretching the Wild’s season-long winning streak to six straight games.

Marian Hossa had the goal for Chicago, the 499th of his career. The Blackhawks played without their two top defensemen, because of an illness for Brent Seabrook and then an ugly first-period match penalty on Duncan Keith for swinging his stick at Charlie Coyle, a potentially costly mistake that could draw a multigame suspension from the NHL.

Declassified memos detail concussion debate: Unsealed NHL documents in the concussion lawsuit brought by former players reveal a snapshot of an internal debate by league officials over head injuries and a deeper concern about the impact of fighting than what had been publicly shared.

In some emails, among the 298 documents recently declassified in the case by U.S. Magistrate Judge Janie Mayeron, Commissioner Gary Bettman’s tone comes across as defensive regarding criticism directed at the league for its handling of player safety and the fighting culture that has existed on the ice for decades.

U.S. dominates at women’s worlds

Miscallany: Hilary Knight got her third goal in two games and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson scored the winner to help the defending champion United States beat Finland 2-1 at the women’s hockey world championships in Kamloops, British Columbia.

Michelle Karvinen put Finland ahead 5:03 into the first period, but Knight tied it with 58 seconds left in the first and then Lamoureux-Davidson put the U.S. ahead 5:09 into the second.

Knight scored twice while the U.S. beat Canada 3-1 Monday night in its tournament opener. Canada finished second to the U.S. in last year’s tournament and the Finns were third.

Columbia wins CIT Tournament: Grant Mullins scored 20 points and Columbia rallied to beat UC Irvine 71-67 in New York to win the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament.

The Lions became the first New York City school to win a postseason title since St. John’s won the NIT in 2003. The Red Storm later vacated that title. Columbia also became only the second Ivy League school to win a postseason crown.

Djokovic reaches quarterfinals: Novak Djokovic rolled his eyes after a backhand found the net, shrugged after an early barrage of errors, double-faulted eight times and even heard the crowd at times pulling for his opponent at the Miami Open.

None of it wound up mattering. Even when not at his sharpest, Djokovic is nearly impossible to beat.

Looking for his fifth title on Key Biscayne in six years, the world’s top player reached the quarterfinals with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 14th-seeded Dominic Thiem of Austria.