Anna Fenninger's ski tips nearly crossed going from one turn to the next late in her run, lurching her violently forward.

Somehow, the Austrian recovered. Improbably, she stayed on course. Even more implausibly, she hardly lost any speed.

As LeBron James dressed following a dominating win over the Miami Heat, the team he fled to return home, he pushed play on the stereo in his corner cubicle and cranked up the volume.

Suddenly, the Cleveland Cavaliers' locker room, still filled with reporters, was alive with thumping music, turning the space into a postgame dance club.

Shunted back in midfield for Manchester United, Wayne Rooney was reassured by England coach Roy Hodgson on Thursday that his status as the national team's leading striker was secure.

At the same time, Hodgson is also embracing younger talent, with Tottenham striker Harry Kane, the breakthrough sensation of the season, set to earn his first England call-up for next month's games.

Didier Deschamps has extended his contract as France coach until the 2018 World Cup in Russia, French football federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet confirmed on Thursday.

The 46-year-old - who captained France to the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000 trophies - was appointed after the 2012 European championships.

Lionel Messi scored one goal and set up another to help Barcelona beat Villarreal 3-1 on Wednesday in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semifinal.

It was Messi's 11th goal in Barcelona's 10-game winning streak and his 34th in 32 games this season as Luis Enrique's Barcelona put one foot in the final.

The English Premier League's television rights windfalls may soar over $13 billion once the 2016-19 international sales are completed this year. And with 11 of this season's 20 clubs already under foreign ownership, the world's richest football league expects the new deals will make its clubs even better propositions for would-be investors.

"Reducing losses and making clubs more sustainable clearly is an important use of that money," Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore said. "That does make clubs more attractive to investors."

Premier League leader Chelsea left it late to beat Everton 1-0 on Wednesday and maintain its seven-point advantage over Manchester City as the champions won 4-1 at Stoke.

Willian's 89th-minute winner for Chelsea came a minute after a foul on the midfielder led to Everton midfielder Gareth Barry being sent off for a second bookable offense.

Real Madrid says a Spanish court has annulled permission granted by the Madrid city government to allow the club to remodel its Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

The European champions said in a statement that "Real Madrid will work together with the city hall and regional Madrid governments to correct the necessary aspects so that the remodeling of the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium is viable."

Houston's James Harden scored 20 of his 40 points in the fourth quarter to steer the Rockets to a 127-118 win at Phoenix on Tuesday, having trailed by a point after three quarters.

The Rockets remained three games behind Southwest Division leader Memphis, which had a home win over Brooklyn, while another key result saw Chicago regain the outright lead of the Central Division by beating Sacramento.

Mario Balotelli went from forgotten man to match-winner at Liverpool as his late goal against Tottenham tightened up the race for Champions League qualification in the Premier League on Tuesday.

The maverick Italy striker came off the bench for just his second appearance in a month, and pounced for an 83rd-minute strike to secure Liverpool a 3-2 win after the team had twice surrendered the lead at Anfield.