Jackson Is the Talk of the Town

Nothing like a trip to Madison Square Garden to reignite talk of Phil Jackson’s future.

The Lakers and New York Knicks played Monday night, but the real game, in the eyes of the New York media, was to determine which team Jackson would choose to coach next season, leading to an avalanche of questions for Laker Coach Frank Hamblen, who spent five seasons under Jackson with the Lakers and two championship seasons with Jackson’s Chicago Bulls.

Would Jackson join a team like the Knicks, who are 13th in the Eastern Conference and salary cap-stifled for years to come?

“Phil’s one of the greatest closers of all time; as far as a team that has a chance to win a championship, he closes a deal,” Hamblen said. “As far as going to a team and building, I don’t know. I can’t answer for him.”

Would Hamblen join Jackson with the Knicks, if events dictated such a possibility?

“That’s way down there, way down the line,” Hamblen said. “I’m quite happy in Los Angeles.”

Will Jackson coach again?

“I think a lot of it has to do with how he’s feeling,” Hamblen said. “Hopefully things are going good.”

Jackson returned Saturday night from a six-week trip to Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti. He visited Laker offices Monday and was seen having lunch with longtime girlfriend and Laker executive Jeanie Buss. By all accounts, he looked healthy and refreshed.

There were, however, no official talks Monday and there probably won’t be any before May or June.

Just the same, Monday’s game, won in overtime by the Knicks, 117-115, served as a one-game sample of what Jackson might -- or might not -- be getting himself into.

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Center Chris Mihm, who scored six points against the Knicks, has totaled 24 points over the last four games.... Trevor Ariza, who left UCLA after his freshman season, scored 10 points in 13 minutes for the Knicks.