BASKETBALL

Lakers confirm Scott as coach — The Los Angeles Lakers confirmed Byron Scott as their new coach Monday night. Scott will be introduced at a news conference today at the Lakers’ training complex. Scott told reporters last weekend he had been hired by the Lakers, who have been without a coach since Mike D’Antoni resigned April 30. Scott is 416-521 as a head coach for New Jersey, New Orleans and Cleveland, reaching two NBA Finals with the Nets. He has won three division titles, and he was the NBA’s coach of the year in 2008.

FOOTBALL

Niners sign a running back — The San Francisco 49ers addressed their injury-riddled running back corps Monday by agreeing to terms with former Arizona Cardinals running back Alfonso Smith, according to a league source. Smith joins a unit hit hard by injuries since training camp practices began Thursday. Kendall Hunter, the incumbent No. 2 back behind Frank Gore, sustained a season-ending knee injury Friday, then LaMichael James, a former Oregon Duck, dislocated an elbow Sunday that could sideline him for a month. Smith spent the past four seasons with the Cardinals, establishing himself as a pass-protecting back on third downs and as a core special-teams player. It’s believed at least one other running back auditioned with the 49ers on Monday at the team’s Santa Clara, California facility.

Lions table talks with Suh —The Detroit Lions have tabled talks on a contract extension with defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh until after the season, but general manager Martin Mayhew and team president Tom Lewand both insisted Monday that they still expect to re-sign Suh at some point. Suh, a Portland resident and former Grant High star, already is the highest-paid defensive tackle in the NFL, at $12.5 million, and his $22.4-million salary cap number is highest in the league.

TENNIS

Recovered from illness, Serena ready for return — Serena Williams said she was barely aware of how sick she was as she tried to play through a viral infection that caused her to lose equilibrium during a women’s doubles match with sister Venus at Wimbledon. It was only later, when she was able to clear her head, that she realized the seriousness of her situation. Williams said she will undergo a series of tests at the end of the season. “I was really ill,” she said. “I got to thinking about a lot of things and because of family history, I’ll get the tests done and we’ll go from there.” Williams meets the Czech Republic’s Karolina Pliskova on Wednesday in the second round of the Bank of West Classic at Stanford, California.

— From wire services