NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin expects to race Saturday night at Richmond despite having a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Hamlin suffered the injury while playing basketball Tuesday night. He will require surgery to repair the ACL following the season.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver had an MRI on Wednesday morning and was given clearance to continue racing through the remainder of the season, which includes the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship.

Hamlin has one win this season and has reeled off three straight top-five finishes. He raced during the 2010 season following a torn ACL in his left knee.

hockey

World Cup to return in 2016

The World Cup of Hockey is coming back in 2016, but NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman insists that doesn't necessarily mean the league will skip the 2018 Olympics.

"I don't think one has anything to do with the other," Bettman said Wednesday.

While Bettman didn't sound enthused about the idea of the league's players going to Pyeongchang, South Korea, he acknowledged being intrigued by the prospects of taking the sport to the other side of the world for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.

"Not to diminish South Korea, but in terms of sheer magnitude, it's not the same as China," Bettman said.

Bettman and NHL Players' Association Executive Director Don Fehr and several players attended a news conference to promote the World Cup of Hockey, which hasn't been held since 2004. The eight-team, two-week tournament event will be held in Toronto, where the host Canadians likely will be a strong favorite against a field that includes the United States, Russia, Sweden, Finland and the Czech Republic.

tennis

Blake: police used excessive force

Police are investigating former tennis professional James Blake's claim that he was thrown to the ground by officers while mistakenly being arrested in New York City.

Police spokesman Stephen Davis says the 35-year-old Blake was misidentified outside a Manhattan hotel during an investigation into fraudulently purchased cellphones.

Davis says a witness believed he'd sold phones to Blake on Tuesday. He hadn't.

Blake is biracial. He told the Daily News of New York he didn't know if he was arrested because of his race. But he did say the first officer he encountered used inappropriate force.

basketball

Belinelli leads Italy

Marco Belinelli nailed a three-pointer with 20 seconds remaining in overtime and then made two free throws to secure Italy's 89-82 victory over Germany at the European basketball championship. Italy will play Serbia for first place in the tough Group B. Serbia stayed unbeaten by defeating Turkey 91-72, with Timberwolves rookie Nemanja Bjelica scoring eight points in 23 minutes.

AROUND THE HORN

Soccer: Australia's two-match series in the United States to face the Women's World Cup champions was called off as negotiations continue over a new collective bargaining agreement.

College basketball: Former University of Kentucky basketball star Rex Chapman pleaded guilty to four felony counts of theft and agreed to a sentence that will include probation and 750 hours of community service.

WNBA: Epiphanny Prince had 25 points, seven rebounds and five assists, and New York beat Connecticut 74-64 to secure the top overall seed in the WNBA playoffs for the first time in franchise history. … Angel McCoughtry scored 23 points and Atlanta beat shorthanded Los Angeles 90-60 for coach Michael Cooper's 200th victory.

ASSOCIATED PRESS