IN BRIEF

BASKETBALL

Clippers forward Brand injures Achilles' tendon

Los Angeles Clippers All-Star forward Elton Brand ruptured his left Achilles' tendon Friday in El Segundo, Calif., during his daily workout.

No decision has been made on surgery and no time frame has been set, but Brand is expected to be sidelined for at least the first two months of the NBA season.

Brand had been given the summer off by the U.S. national team to rehabilitate his nagging injuries.

Also: The Dallas Mavericks agreed to a two-year, $4 million deal with guard-forward Eddie Jones.

The Golden State Warriors signed center Kosta Perovic, the 38th pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, and free-agent forward Austin Croshere.

Free-agent guard Jannero Pargo agreed to a two-year contract with the New Orleans Hornets. The deal is worth almost $4 million, with a player option in the second year.

The Minnesota Timberwolves finalized their buyout of guard Troy Hudson's contract. He will receive about $6 million this season and about $6.3 million next season.

Washington basketball coach Lorenzo Romar has signed a deal that will keep him with the Huskies through the 2015-16 season. He will make $1.105 million per season in guaranteed money.

TENNIS

Roddick reaches semis in Legg Mason Classic

Andy Roddick beat Hyung-Taik Lee 7-6 (6), 6-2 to reach the semifinals of the Legg Mason Tennis Classic in Washington, D.C.

Roddick will play No. 7 Ivo Karlovic, who had 29 aces in a 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5) win over Paul Capdeville.

In the other semifinal, John Isner, a 6-foot-9-inch American playing in his second ATP Tour event, will meet No. 9 seed Gael Monfils. Isner had 30 aces to upset second-seeded Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-7 (6), 7-6 (5), and Monfils defeated third-seeded Marat Safin, 6-3, 7-5.

Also: Patty Schnyder claimed her second straight upset with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 4 seed Nadia Petrova to advance to the semifinals of the Acura Classic in Carlsbad, Calif.

Schnyder will play No. 9 seed Elena Dementieva. Top-seeded Maria Sharapova will meet No. 3 seed Anna Chakvetadze in the other semifinal.

MISCELLANEOUS

USC football ranked first in coaches Top 25

Southern California was ranked first in the preseason USA Today Coaches Top 25 football poll.

The Trojans were followed by Louisiana State, defending national champion Florida, Texas and Michigan.

USC received 45 of 60 first-place votes and 1,481 points. LSU had four first-place votes and 1,372 points, and Florida got nine first-place votes and 1,278 points.

Also: Former state trooper James Harney, who admitted to running a sports betting ring with retired hockey star Rick Tocchet, was sentenced in Mount Holly, N.J., to five years in prison, with the possibility for parole in about a year.

Tocchet and another man also pleaded guilty and will be sentenced this month. The two could avoid prison under the terms of their plea deals.

The UNLV men's soccer team was picked to finish fifth in the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation's preseason poll in a vote of the league's six coaches. New Mexico was picked to win the title, followed by Denver and San Jose State.

Rebels freshman Daniel Cruz was named to the U.S. under-17 national team that will play in the World Cup from Aug. 18 to Sept. 9 in South Korea.