NBA

Long considered the heir apparent to Phil Jackson in sunny Los Angeles, Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis is taking a much different, and colder, route to a head coaching job. Rambis and the Minnesota Timberwolves have an oral agreement and are completing details of the contract, which is expected to be announced early this week, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The person spoke to The Associated Press on the condition of anonymity Sunday because an announcement has not been made. Timberwolves president David Kahn said in a text message he met with Rambis' agent Sunday but has yet to conclude the deal. The selection ends a seven-week search after Kahn decided in June not to keep Kevin McHale. Rambis was one of three finalists, with TV commentator and former NBA star Mark Jackson and Houston assistant Elston Turner. The 51-year-old Rambis has the most head coaching experience of the group. He has been a Lakers assistant for 10 years, was their head coach in the lockout shortened 1998-99 season and has filled in on several occasions for his Hall of Fame coach. Rambis won four titles with the Lakers as a player and three more as an assistant. He comes to a franchise that has seen many more losses than wins, especially of late. The Wolves have not made the playoffs since Kevin Garnett led them to the Western Conference finals in 2004. They have won just 46 games in the last two seasons and have changed coaches four times in the last five years.

Soccer

The soccer team money can buy is going home with a 2-0 record in North America. Real Madrid beat D.C. United 3-0 in an exhibition game before 72,368 fans at FedEx Field in Landover, Md. The Spanish powerhouse - which spent some $375 million on new players in the offseason - also beat Toronto FC 5-1 on Friday during its preseason tour. United goalkeeper Josh Wicks kept Real at bay in a scoreless first half, but Gonzalo Higuain scored twice in a two-minute span in the second half as the visitors took control. Arjen Robben added another goal for Real. United's usual home, RFK Stadium, couldn't hold all the U.S.-based Real fans who wanted to come. But in the first half they found themselves applauded Wicks, whose salary this year is all of $42,000. Wicks made six saves, including a diving, right-arm reflex stop against Robben in the 52nd minute. Real stunned the soccer world with its lavish offseason spending in hopes of regaining supremacy in Spain from Barcelona. Its haul included Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo, FIFA's world players of the year in 2007 and 2008. Ronaldo played only the first half Sunday with temperatures in the mid-90s, and Kaka was replaced in the 67th minute.

Tennis

Top-seeded Andy Roddick lost to Juan Martin del Potro in the Legg Mason Tennis Classic final at Washington, D.C., falling 3-6, 7-5, 7-6 (6) to the defending champion. The winning shot came on a crosscourt forehand. The replay system on Roddick's challenge confirmed the ball hit the outer portion of the sideline, and del Potro raised both arms above his head in celebration. It was the first loss for Roddick in four Washington finals. Roddick won the tournament in 2001, 2005 and 2007. This was Roddick's first tournament since losing an epic Wimbledon final to Roger Federer on July 5. Roddick had taken a monthlong break to recover from a right hip flexor he injured in that match.

Flavia Pennetta took advantage of error-prone Samantha Stosur for a 6-4, 6-3 victory in the LA Women's Tennis Championships at Carson, Calif., giving the Italian her second title of the year. Pennetta followed up a three-set semifinal victory over Maria Sharapova by making quick work of Stosur, an Aussie doubles specialist who has yet to win a WTA Tour singles title. She lost in a final for the fifth time in her career. Stosur's serve let her down with eight double faults. She was broken four times, including three in the second set when she connected on just 52 percent of her first serves. Stosur also struggled with her forehand, which led to many of her 32 unforced errors.

Golf

John Rollins overcame an early double bogey with a chip-in eagle, then survived a string of bogeys to shoot an even-par 72 and win the Legends Reno-Tahoe Open for his third career PGA Tour victory. Rollins, who tied the course record with a second-round 62 and led by six strokes at the turn, won by three strokes, finishing at 17-under 271 on the Montreux Golf & Country Club course. Martin Laird made a 5-foot birdie putt on the 18th to shoot a 66 and tie for second with Jeff Quinney, who also shot a 66 on the strength of six birdies. Joe Ogilvie (71) was fourth at 13 under.

Jennifer Song became the second woman to win two U.S. Golf Association championships in the same year, beating Jennifer Johnson 3 and 1 in the U.S. Women's Amateur final at Old Warson in St. Louis. The 19-year-old Song, coming off her freshman year at Southern California, won the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links winner in June and was the low amateur last month in the U.S. Women's Open. She's from Ann Arbor, Mich. Pearl Sinn is the only other woman to win two USGA titles in a year, taking the 1988 Amateur and Public Links. Five men have accomplished the feat. The 17-year-old Johnson, from La Quinta, Calif., will be a freshman at Arizona State.

Auto Racing

Scott Dixon became IndyCar's leader in career victories, pulling away from the field to capture the Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio in Lexington. The victory was Dixon's fourth of the season and 20th of his IndyCar career, breaking a tie with former series star Sam Hornish Jr. Dixon entered the record books with ease, taking the lead from Justin Wilson halfway through the race then pouring it on to win by nearly 30 seconds over pole sitter Ryan Briscoe. The margin of victory was the largest in the series in a decade. The victory also pushed the defending points champion back atop the standings with four races left in the season. Dario Franchitti was third, followed by Ryan Hunter-Reay and Hideki Mutoh.

NHL

Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane was charged with attacking a cab driver in his hometown of Buffalo, N.Y., a beating that police said was triggered when the driver did not have 20 cents in change to give the player and his cousin. Buffalo police said the 20-year-old Kane and his 21-year-old cousin, James Kane, had apparently caught a cab from the city's downtown nightclub district at about 4 a.m. The cab driver suffered cuts to his face and his glasses were damaged, police spokesman Michael DeGeorge said.