Lakers court Phil Jackson for third stint

NBA: The Los Angeles Lakers spoke to 11-time NBA champion coach Phil Jackson on Saturday about returning for a third stint on their bench.

The Lakers confirmed on their website that Jackson discussed the job with team vice president Jim Buss and general manager Mitch Kupchak. They’ll meet again early next week.

Los Angeles fired coach Mike Brown on Friday after a 1-4 start to a season of enormous expectations. Interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff led the Lakers to a blowout win over Golden State later that night, and the Lakers said Bickerstaff will coach the club in a home game against Sacramento tonight.

Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard have voiced their interest in playing for Jackson, and the popular coach’s return to the 16-time champion franchise seems probable as long as Jackson decides he’s up to another stint in the prestigious job with a team that won five titles and reached seven NBA finals in his 11 seasons on its bench.

“Knowing him the way I do, I think it’s really just a matter of health, if he feels physically up to doing it,” Bryant said Friday.

Jackson walked away from the Lakers in 2011, eager to improve his health by avoiding the constant grind of travel.

• Spurs edge Trail Blazers: Gary Neal had 27 points, Manu Ginobili hit two big free throws in the final seconds and San Antonio edged the Trail Blazers 112-109 in Portland.

The Blazers hit four straight 3-pointers to tie it at 109 with 40.5 seconds left, but Portland couldn’t maintain and was handed its third straight loss.

• Kidd-Gilchrist lifts Bobcats over Mavs: Rookie Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a career-high 25 points and 12 rebounds to help the Bobcats snap a 16-game losing streak against the Dallas Mavericks with a 101-97 overtime win in Charlotte, N.C.

• Robinson, Bulls end T-Wolves streak: Nate Robinson scored 18 points and the Bulls beat Minnesota 87-80 in Chicago, ending the Timberwolves’ three-game winning streak.

Robinson played 31 minutes after starting point guard Kirk Hinrich left with a right hip strain in the second quarter.

• Celtics rally past Bucks: Paul Pierce scored 25 points and Kevin Garnett added 18 as visiting Boston rallied for a 96-92 victory over Milwaukee.

Rajon Rondo had 10 points and 10 assists for the Celtics, giving him 30 straight games with 10 or more assists, the third-longest streak in NBA history.

Klitschko retains heavyweight belts

Boxing: Wladimir Klitschko retained his WBA, IBF and WBO heavyweight titles, unanimously outpointing Poland’s Mariusz Wach in Hamburg, Germany.

The judges scored it 120-107, 120-107 and 119-109 for Klitschko, who was troubled only at the end of the fifth round, when the 6-foot-7 1/2 Wach surprised him with a right hook before a flurry of punches.

• Mares bests Moreno: Abner Mares attacked relentlessly on the way to a unanimous decision over Anselmo Moreno in Los Angeles, defending his WBC 122-pound title.

Del Potro advances to semifinals at ATP

Tennis: Using his hard serve and booming forehand, Juan Martin del Potro earned the last spot in the semifinals of the ATP finals by overcoming the already-qualified Roger Federer 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-3 in their last round-robin match in London. Del Potro will face Novak Djokovic in the semifinals today, before Federer takes on Andy Murray.

Park takes 2-stroke lead in Guadalajara

Golf: Inbee Park moved into position for a win, shooting a 6-under-par 66 to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Guadalajara, Mexico. The South Korean player had a 15-under 201 total at Guadalajara Country Club.

U.S. earns gold at Four Nations Cup

Hockey: The U.S. women’s hockey team relied on its special teams to win a second straight gold medal at the Four Nations Cup, defeating Canada 3-0 in Tikkurila, Finland.

Kendall Coyne scored short-handed, while Hilary Knight and Anne Schleper added power-play goals.

Hoefl-Riesch opens season with win

Skiing: Olympic champion Maria Hoefl-Riesch of Germany overcame a hip injury to win the season’s first World Cup slalom in Levi, Finland, with 17-year-old American Mikaela Shiffrin in third place.

Finland’s Tanja Poutiainen finished second. Hoefl-Riesch trailed Poutiainen after the first run but had the fastest time in the second for a total time of 1 minute, 55.58 seconds.