Chicago Sports

The Bulls needed something, anything, in the aftermath of the embarrassment in Minnesota back on Dec. 18.

Leave it to Goran Dragic to provide the Heat check.

Spending seven seasons in Miami, Dragic learned that tough love not only needs to happen in the locker room behind closed doors, but sometimes needs to be made public.

That’s why the veteran guard had no problem coming out after the Bulls gave up 150 points to the Timberwolves and insisted, “We’re not playing for each other … simple as that.”

The Bulls have gone 10-6 since then, and Billy Donovan didn’t think it was just a coincidence that there has been an effort to play for each other more consistently over that span.

“I say you confront it, you call it out and you try to expose it,” the coach said, when asked about Dragic’s comments. “And I appreciated Goran saying what he said because at the time, I think there was a lot of accuracy to what he was saying.”

That’s why go ahead and give Dragic the award for the “Most Pivotal Moment of the First Half.”

With the Bulls just past the halfway mark, here’s the rest of the first-half awards being handed out:

MVP: DeMar DeRozan – While the “maestro of the midrange” has watched his scoring dip slightly from last season, he’s also adjusted to how teams are now playing him. Like DeRozan saw most of the second half of the 2021-22 campaign, the double teams and blitzes are coming more frequently. It didn’t take the veteran long to flex that high basketball IQ and come up with the counter. That means showing opposing defenses just how dangerous he can be as a play-maker.

In the 20 wins DeRozan has played in, his scoring average was just 24.9, but his assists numbers were way up at 5.6. And as far as the fourth quarter goes, he’s still the closer, shooting 47.4% from the field in that final stanza.

Most Improved: Patrick Williams – The former No. 4 overall pick was expected to make a jump as a scorer this season, but just not the way he’s done it. Williams has become the best three-point shooter on the roster, sitting at 42.1% from long range.

More importantly, his scoring numbers have gone up in three of the last four months, as Williams looks much more comfortable in the framework of the offense.

The one complaint of his game so far? At 6-foot-7 and a solid 215 pounds, Williams should be a much more dominant rebounder than a guy grabbing just 4.1 boards per game.

Most Underappreciated: Nikola Vucevic – Bulls fans love to pile on the big man when things are going poorly, despite the fact that he’s sacrificed more than anyone on the roster. He’s shooting five points higher from the field than he was last season, and his three-point percentage has gone up from 31.4% last year to 37.4% 45 games in.

He’s durable, and a perfect fit for DeRozan and Zach LaVine’s games, willing to abandon the paint and be a threat from outside, so both of his teammates have room to operate at the rim.

The Biggest Mystery of the Second Half: Lonzo Ball and the Feb. 9 Trade Deadline (tie) – Ball solves many of the team’s biggest weaknesses, but the reality of his left knee issue leans more toward the Bulls not having the point guard available this season.

What the Bulls do at the deadline could be a reflection of that reality, with a true point guard really needed. As far as the idea of any of the “Big Three” being dealt or a major blow-up of the roster happening? As of 45 games in the books, very unlikely on both fronts. If anything, there could be a minor tweak made.

Stay tuned, however, as the next few weeks could change some minds in the front office.

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Saturday, January 21, 2023

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL

Northridge at Elgin Academy, 3:30

INTERSTATE EIGHT

LaSalle-Peru at Kaneland, 6:30

NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY

Lakes at Grant, 3:00

North Chicago at Grayslake North, 7:00

Round Lake at Antioch, 3:00

NON CONFERENCE

Addison Trail at West Chicago, 1:30

Audubon (WI) at Perspectives-MSA, 5:00

Bartlett at St. Charles North, 3:00

Bloom at Homewood-Flossmoor, 1:30

Bolingbrook at Downers Grove North, 4:30

Boylan at Huntley, 3:30

Chicago Math & Science at North Shore, 3:30

Cissna Park at Grace Christian, 3:30

Cissna Park at McNamara, 1:30

Clark at Dunbar, 6:30

CPSA at IC Catholic, 8:00

Cristo Rey-St. Martin at Cristo Rey-Milwaukee (WI

Danville at Marian Catholic, 2:00

DeKalb at Auburn, 6:00

Glenbard South at Minooka, 3:30

Hall at Reed-Custer, 1:30

Harvest Christian at Richmond-Burton, 7:00

Herscher at Watseka, 7:30

Hinckley-Big Rock at Winnebago, 5:00

Illinois Lutheran at Walther Christian, 5:00

Intrinsic-Downtown at Intrinsic-Belmont, 1:00

Lake Forest Academy at Culver Military (IN)

Lake Park at Bloomington, 6:30

Latin at Lisle, 6:30

Leland at Alden-Hebron, 4:30

Lyons at Proviso East, 2:00

Maine South at Buffalo Grove, 4:30

Marian Central at Hope Academy, 2:00

Marquette at Somonauk, 3:00

Mather at Elk Grove, 12:00

Mendota at Stillman Valley, 5:00

Mundelein at Palatine, 4:30

Niles West at Hoffman Estates, 6:00

Oak Forest at Morris, 6:00

Oregon at Forreston, 7:00

Plainfield Central at Joliet Catholic, 2:30

Plainfield East at Neuqua Valley, 5:30

Plainfield North at Lockport, 3:30

Princeton at Ottawa, 6:00

Providence-St. Mel at Wells, 1:30

Proviso West at Nazareth, 2:30

Rock Falls at Freeport, 6:00

Rockford Christian at Timothy Christian, 6:00

South Beloit at Scales Mound, 7:00

South Elgin at Burlington Central, 12:00

St. Francis de Sales at Evergreen Park, 1:00

Stevenson at Prospect, 5:30

Streamwood at Barrington, 4:30

Streator at Rochelle, 3:00

Taft at Loyola, 5:00

Unity Christian at Grace Christian, 6:30

Westinghouse at Schaumburg, 2:30

Westminster Christian at Indian Creek, 6:45

Wheeling at Maine West, 2:00

Willowbrook at Glenbard East, 4:00

Wilmington at Westmont, 11:30

Yorkville Christian at Glenbrook North, 3:30

AURORA CHRISTIAN

Aurora Central vs. IMSA, 10:30

Marmion vs. Aurora Christian, 1:30

West Aurora vs. Metea Valley, 4:30

East Aurora vs. Waubonsie Valley, 7:30

BATAVIA

York vs. St. Charles East, 3:00

Larkin vs. Wheaton-Warr. South, 4:30

Oswego East vs. Hillcrest, 6:00

Hinsdale Central vs. Batavia, 7:30

BENET

Brother Rice vs. Rolling Meadows, 2:30

Young vs. Joliet West, 4:00

Simeon vs. Moline, 6:00

Benet vs. Kenwood, 7:30

METAMORA

Bogan vs. Illini Bluffs, 12:00

Bogan vs. Manual, 3:30

QUINCY

Curie vs. Chaminade (MO), 12:00

St. Rita vs. Real Salt Lake (UT), 1:30

SALEM

Champaign Central vs. Madison, 11:30

Salem vs. Effingham, 1:00

Seventh Place, 3:30

Fifth Place, 5:00

Carbondale vs. Thornton Fr. North, 6:30

Mt. Vernon vs. East St. Louis, 8:00

THORNWOOD

Bremen vs. Longwood, 10:00

Southland vs. Harlan, 11:30

Tinley Park vs. Fenger, 1:00

Brooks vs. Comer, 2:30

Thornridge vs. Francis Parker, 4:00

Thornton vs. Thornton Fr. South, 5:30

Thornwood vs. EPIC, 7:00

TRI-COUNTY TOURNAMENT

Lowpoint-Washburn at Henry-Senachwine, 2:00

WEST CARROLL

Amboy vs. Warren (IL), 10:30

Newman vs. Prince of Peace (IA), 12:00

Byron vs. Comanche (IA), 7:30

YOUNG

Christ the King vs. Farragut, 11:00

Lincoln-Way Central vs. Vocational, 12:15

Providence-St. Mel vs. Wells, 1:30

Kankakee vs. Von Steuben, 3:00

St. Laurence vs. Lincoln Park, 4:30

Lincoln-Way East vs. Marshall, 6:00

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Two people were hospitalized Saturday morning after an apartment fire in Lake View.

The fire began around 3:40 a.m. on the first floor, then spread to the second floor of an apartment building in the 1100 block of West Wolfram Street, Chicago fire officials said.

A man, 56, was taken to Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition, Chicago police said. A woman, 79, was taken in serious condition to the same hospital.

The fire was put out about 4 a.m., officials said. There was no immediate word on the cause.

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OK, fine. I’m in.

After years of unrelenting commercials and studio-show segments telling me that betting on sports is the key to happiness and enlightenment, not to mention untold riches, I finally decide to download an app and give it a whirl.

Why else? For a column.

“Live your bet life,” they say. “Make. It. Rain.” Not, “Hunker down over a tuna sandwich and read the newspaper,” or even, “Hey, just enjoy watching a game for its own sake.”

My inner cynic — never far from the surface — bristles at the ex-jocks and media members who shill for the online sportsbooks, pretending to have special insights into who’s going to rush for more than 64 1/2 yards, who’s going to go 2-for-4, who’s going to score a goal and all that nonsense.

Then again, don’t I pick college football winners against the spread in the paper every week? I guess I’m busted on that front. And there’s legal sports betting in 36 states, plus Washington, D.C., so this is a runaway train whether I’m on board or not.

Damn it, let’s ride.

Saturday: The first thing I do is look at my precious son and put $5 on his school, Missouri, to win its basketball game at Florida. The Tigers lose by nine as the bum just sits there and watches, like it isn’t his fault his old man is already in the red.

It’s halftime of the Seahawks-49ers game when I make my second bet: a $20 parlay on the Niners to win the third quarter, the Niners to win the fourth quarter, the Niners to cover the spread and the over to come in. Somehow, it all hits for about $100. I’m well into the black.

After that, I do what any shrewd sports gambler would do and ask: “Is there a night game? Because if there is, I’m betting on everything.” Fumbling through a bottomless pit of Chargers-Jaguars options, I randomly bet two parlays (one of which is a winner) and several player props, including the over for receiving yards — set at 7 1/2 — by a Jags back named JaMycal Hasty, whom I’ve never heard of, probably because he’s the sort of player who has over/unders like 7 1/2 attached to his name. Hasty finishes with a stat line of all zeros, but I make up for it by impulsively throwing $50 on an NBA over. Turns out it was Mavs-Blazers, which I don’t even remember until the next morning.

I’m up $221.02!

Sunday:After a long day of writing, during which I waste only two or three hours looking at the app, I’m ready for some Ravens-Bengals action. Realizing how little I pay attention to the NFL, I use the darts-at-a-map approach to land on five bets, then flip a coin to determine which sides I’m taking. If the Bengals’ Sam Hubbard doesn’t return that fourth-quarter fumble 98 yards for a touchdown, I go 2-3. Instead — thanks to utterly dumb luck — I go 4-1. Mr. Vegas is up $346.72.

Monday:Michigan State is off to a slow start against Purdue, but I figure it’ll even out. So, in-game, I take the Spartans +8 1/2 and win. I take similar approaches with the Heat when they’re down big at the Hawks and the Grizzlies when they’re struggling at home with the Suns and win those, too.

The Cowboys-Buccaneers playoff betting is a mixed bag, with my biggest wins being Tom Brady over 41 1/2 passes (he has 66!) and — my first $100 play — Dak Prescott over 260 1/2 total yards. Why do I only bet overs, never unders? It just seems like more fun to root for excitement instead of against it. I win another $242.28 for the day and am up almost $600.

But I realize I just as easily could be down that much or more. And I’m starting to get bored.

Tuesday:It’s a writing day, and I’m wiped out from betting and watching TV. Finished with work, I go to the gym and hoist my large self onto an elliptical machine. Oh, hell, Kansas State is up five on Kansas at the half right there on the machine’s TV screen. I throw $60 each on the Wildcats -2 1/2 and the over and avoid losing both only because the game goes to overtime and enough points are scored to earn me an undeserved split. No harm, no foul, no rest for the sports-betting weary.

Wednesday:As I know essentially nothing about him, I can think of no good reason Seton Hall’s Kadary Richmond (who?) won’t go over a combined 20 1/2 points, rebounds and assists and bet accordingly. Later, I win an NBA bet on the Nuggets — only because they close the game on a 9-0 run — and almost feel guilty. More haphazard betting, more dumb luck. I’m up over $700.

Thursday:For crying out loud, the Bulls are on at 2. I don’t even want to bet it, yet I must. It’s my turn to lose. I nearly pull the trigger on a parlay of Zach LaVine scoring at least 30 points and the Bulls winning, but it’s on the board for only +240. Instead, I throw a nice chunk of change on LaVine to score at least 35 in a Bulls victory; that’s at +630. He finishes with 30.

I look for a college game determined to bet on the first one I find on TV. It’s Purdue at Minnesota, and the Gophers are getting a whopping 8 1/2 points in the first half. The total is only 58 1/2 . Doing the math, I reason that all the Gophs have to do is score 25, and I can’t lose both bets if I take them and the over. A split, worst case? That’s just good horse sense. Halftime score: 31-12, Boilermakers.

What the hell am I doing?

I’ve given back about one-third of my stash, which — oddly — is almost a relief. I’m pretty sure I want out of my bet life. But, wait, do I?

I’m sure I’ll cash out … any day now.

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Model MLS franchises can sell players to European clubs and win matches. Under owner Joe Mansueto, sporting director Georg Heitz and technical director Sebastian Pelzer, the Fire haven’t struck that balance.

The sale Tuesday of striker Jhon Duran to Aston Villa was the Fire’s second eight-figure transaction with an English Premier League team in the last year after goalkeeper Gabriel Slonina’s move to Chelsea. In 2021, the team sent winger Przemyslaw Frankowski to French side RC Lens, granting the Polish attacker an opportunity in another of Europe’s biggest leagues.

While those deals are strong signs for player development and scouting, they need to be complemented by capable replacements and progress on the field. The Fire must find a new striker after Kacper Przybylko had an underwhelming 2022. They’re hoping Chris Brady can play at least as well as Slonina did a year ago, and they still lack anybody with Frankowski’s speed.

Most importantly, the Fire aren’t selling players off successful teams. The 2021 season ended with an interim coach after the dismissal of Raphael Wicky, and 2022 concluded with intensifying questions about the on-field direction of the franchise under Mansueto, Heitz and Pelzer.

As the Fire begin 2023, they’ll be trying again to pair development and victories.

“It’s a tricky situation, but it’s not a bad situation to be in,” coach Ezra Hendrickson said. “It means that people are looking at your players, and it means that your recruiting department is doing a good job of finding players, whether it be from abroad or within Homegrowns, as we saw with Gaga and Duran.”

Their departures seemed inevitable long before they left. Duran was a sought-after prospect with a big name before joining the Fire from Colombia, and Slonina emerged as perhaps the world’s most promising young goalie soon after becoming the club’s starter in 2021.

Cashing in on them was the right move for the players and the Fire. Outside of consistently losing, one of the worst things MLS teams can do is hold players back from bigger stages and fatter paychecks abroad. Even with its recent growth and improvement, MLS is still notches below the top leagues in Europe and not a destination for the best players.

Yet, those sales can’t be considered untainted positives. Because of Mansueto’s finances, the Fire aren’t hurting for money, and the team can only use a portion of the moves’ proceeds toward the roster. The biggest recent purchases — Xherdan Shaqiri and Jairo Torres — did not live up to expectations in 2022, and Heitz and Pelzer don’t have a track record that should instill confidence for any such future acquisitions paying off.

With Mansueto, Heitz and Pelzer in charge, the Fire clearly have tried to win. Selling Slonina, Duran and Frankowski isn’t a sign the franchise is interested in just pocketing cash. It’s a reality in the world of soccer.

It’s also a reality that the Fire need to win after over a decade of struggles. Making money off young players can’t be their only victories.

“We’ve just got to make sure that we remain competitive and we still are able to operate as a business, a profiting business,” Hendrickson said.

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The Bulls are a perfect 10. Sorry, make that an imperfect 10th in the Eastern Conference standings.

We can all agree that this 21-24 season has been deeply disappointing and that a roster built around Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic — and missing Lonzo Ball for what seems like forever — just isn’t bearing fruit. But a harder topic is what the Bulls should do about it.

In this week’s “Polling Place,” your home for Sun-Times sports polls on Twitter, we asked what the Bulls’ philosophy should be with the Feb. 9 trade deadline looming. Should they stick with what they have? Trade one of their All-Stars? Blow the whole thing up and start over?

“Blow it up,” @WSox14 commented.

“Whatever appears to be best for the Bulls,” @JeffJoe049 wrote, “[chairman Jerry] Reinsdorf will do the opposite.”

We also asked whether or not Billy Donovan is the coach the Bulls need. Last, we asked for your weekend upset pick in the NFL: Jaguars, Giants, Bengals or Cowboys?

On to the polls:

Poll No. 1: What should the Bulls’ philosophy be heading toward the Feb. 9 NBA trade deadline?

Upshot: Maybe if Ball were healthy, things would look different enough that no one would even be thinking about moving a big piece. As it is, the Bulls have to see what’s out there for Vucevic, for DeRozan, even for LaVine and his new max contract. Oh, and for anyone else in whom there’s any interest. Does front-office honcho Arturas Karnisovas have the stomach for admitting defeat?

Poll No. 2: Is Billy Donovan the right coach for the Bulls?

Upshot: As a college coach, Donovan was regarded as an elite recruiter, strategist and motivator — the whole nine yards — but in the NBA, he has yet to reach a level of success that speaks for itself. His time in Chicago has been underwhelming, but our voters clearly haven’t turned on him yet. How much longer does he have until they do?

Poll No. 3: If you had to pick an NFL underdog to win this weekend, which would it be?

Upshot: You know what? It’s hard to find a consensus on these things. From @JeffreyCanalia: “Bengals vs. Bills is a 50-50 game.” But from @Pastor_BKT: “Bengals don’t have a shot.” See what we mean? Still, the red-hot Bengals kind of run away with it here even though it’s the Cowboys who — going by point spreads — face the smallest challenge of the underdog bunch.

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The Cubs poked around the shortstop market last offseason, even inquiring about Carlos Correa before he signed with the Twins the first time. This winter, the matter was more pressing, not only because of the strength of the shortstop class for the second year in a row, but also for what acquiring a shortstop would mean for second base.

“The offseason strategy to find a shortstop so we could put Nico [Hoerner] at second was maybe the highest priority,” chairman Tom Ricketts said in a conversation with the Sun-Times last week.

The move had nothing to do with the club’s faith in Hoerner’s ability at shortstop. He ranked second, tied with Francisco Lindor, among major-league shortstops in outs above average last season (13). In fact, he only trailed Dansby Swanson.

It had everything to do with the Cubs’ confidence in Hoerner’s defense and the opportunity to put one of the best middle-infield duos on the field, especially with -defensive-shift limits coming to MLB this season.

“The Cubs have been awesome from the start, as far as communication about position and free agency in general,” Hoerner said during the Cubs Convention last weekend. “Even starting within the season last year, it was all very clear that they trusted me to play shortstop, but there was a lot of talent on the market at that position.”

More telling than anything Hoerner might say publicly was a text message he sent soon after Swanson’s signing.

Swanson was honeymooning overseas, which delayed his reaching out to all his new teammates. Hoerner beat him to it.

“That meant a lot to me,” Swanson said at his introductory news conference. “That’s something that I’ve always tried to do, when I was in Atlanta, when we got new players, to be the first to reach out. Obviously tells a lot about him, and I’m excited to have this partnership over the next however many years.”

The pair has talked more since.

Swanson did get that team list of contact information from Vijay Tekchandani, the director of major-league travel and clubhouse operations. And he met many of his new teammates at the Cubs Convention.

“He’s done the things that I definitely look forward to doing in my career, hopefully,” Hoerner said of Swanson, a World Series winner, All-Star and Gold Glover. “So a great person to play alongside.”

Each pointed out the other’s preoccupation with winning, a trait that also made Hoerner open to moving back to the other side of second base.

“He’s willing to do whatever it takes to win,” Swanson said. “When you can combine that kind of mentality with how I like to do things, that usually fits like a glove — no pun intended.”

With the middle infield set, Nick Madrigal, who has been a second baseman his entire professional career, will take some reps at third base, as well, president of baseball -operations Jed Hoyer said.

“It’s not the way you think of stereotypical third baseman — power, slugger,” Hoyer said. “But he’s a really good hitter, a really good player.”

In his first two seasons in the big leagues, Madrigal impressed with his talent for making contact, posting a .317 batting average with the White Sox before a season-ending hamstring surgery in 2021. But in his fragmented first season on the North Side, Madrigal never sustained a rhythm in the batter’s box. Limited to 59 games by a string of injuries, he hit .249.

Madrigal also will have a chance to fill in when other midfielders are out of the lineup. However, Swanson’s ironman track record doesn’t guarantee many of those opportunities stemming from his side.

In the last three seasons, Swanson has played in all but two Braves regular-season games. He said he already has talked with manager David Ross about playing every day.

“I’m not going to say there was some pushback, but …” Swanson said. “That’s the job. The job requires 162 games plus whatever is left in October.”

NOTES: The Cubs made first baseman Trey Mancini’s two-year deal official Friday, adding a right-handed hitter who slumped in the second half of last season but has a reputation as an impactful power hitter. To make room for Mancini on the 40-man roster, the Cubs designated left-handed pitcher Anthony Kay for assignment. The club had claimed Kay off waivers from the Blue Jays last month.

o The Cubs announced this week that they signed right-hander Vinny Nittoli to a minor-league contract with an invite to major-league spring training. Right-hander Mark Leiter Jr., whom the Cubs designated for assignment last week to open a roster spot for first baseman Eric Hosmer, cleared waivers. The Cubs outrighted him to Triple-A Iowa.

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PHILADELPHIA — Jonathan Toews has become -increasingly philosophical.

Confronted by two of the toughest decisions he has faced in his career, the Blackhawks’ captain uses that philosophical perspective to help put the situation in proper context.

“Sometimes you get antsy, and you want answers, and you want things to be clear, and you want certainty in life,” Toews told the Sun-Times on Thursday, softly and carefully. “I guess it’s not the case I’m in right now.”

Toews must decide by the NHL’s March 3 trade deadline if he’ll accept (or request) a move to a new team for the first time or play out the rest of the season with the Hawks. And he must decide by July if he’ll sign another contract — with the Hawks or another team — and continue his career or retire after 15 seasons. He’ll be 35 by then.

While Toews has come to grips with his impatience and reality’s complexity, he still doesn’t know what his brain and body need.

There are simply too many large, looming unknowns for him to know what’s best. It’s difficult to chart a path on a gray map, after all. The deadline’s timing and his contract’s no-trade clause will allow him to wait to decide.

“There are a lot of different scenarios that are even difficult to think about because I don’t know what it looks like,” he said. “I don’t even know what the next few months look like. I don’t know what next year looks like. And likewise for myself.

“I don’t know what our team looks like, as far as if guys are being traded to other teams or whatever the situation might be, [and] if that changes things. There’s a lot of things that might be there, and I have no idea how that impacts me. A lot of people ask me if I’m looking at other teams and other options for myself at the end of this year. [But], really, I’m just focused on my game.”

Hawks general manager Kyle Davidson said last weekend he expected to meet with Toews, Patrick Kane and their agent, Pat Brisson, within the “next couple of weeks or so” for initial conversations. Kane’s leanings — he has disclosed virtually nothing publicly — likely also will affect Toews’ thought process.

If Toews allows Davidson to explore the trade market, forward-seeking contenders who might be interested include the Avalanche, Flames, Wild, Hurricanes (who just lost Max Pacioretty to another injury) and Jets (who would represent a homecoming for Toews, a Winnipeg native).

But Toews’ cap hit, which started the season at $10.5 million, will be a major hindrance to any of those suitors. There’s no guarantee the Hawks could even make a trade if given the green light. For that reason, even once he makes his decision, Toews and the Hawks might not announce it to avoid an awkward post-deadline return (as Willson Contreras experienced with the Cubs last season).

Another possible issue is Toews’ health. He has missed only one game — although quite a few practices — this season and has demonstrated throughout his career the determination to play through bumps and bruises, but an injury or a general lack of stamina might be slowing him down nonetheless.

Toews, through uncharacteristic brevity, and coach Luke Richardson, by discussing workload management in response to a general question about Toews, hinted Thursday at something going on behind the scenes.

Said Toews: “I am where I’m at. Just trying to improve every day.”

Said Richardson: “He’s so strong on the puck and strong on his stick that if he has a little jump in his step out there, he’s a dominant player. That’s what we’re trying to do. Even [after sitting out practice Wednesday], he doesn’t need to be on the ice every day. [After] a quick skate this morning just to loosen up, he’ll be ready to go again. Managing time on the ice is beneficial for a guy that has a lot of mileage on him.”

In spite of all he’s juggling mentally and physically, Toews is enjoying his most productive stretch since the first 11 games of the season, nine of which he had a point in. From a cynical viewpoint, that’s one positive factor for his trade value, but that thought certainly hasn’t crossed his mind.

In fact, he was surprised Thursday to hear that he had six points in his previous six games, a surge he increased to seven in seven by scoring against the Flyers. He has been so focused on his day-to-day routine that he had no idea.

“When you’re worried about points or scoring goals, and you’re worried about the end result,” he said, “especially when we came out of the [Christmas] break with three pretty ugly games on the road and the feeling wasn’t too hot in the room again, [but we can’t be] worried about the results as opposed to just the process.”

Toews’ offensive spike has coincided with the Hawks’ out-of-the-blue 5-1-0 streak. In the Hawks’ 13 victories, he has 13 points. In their 30 losses, he has only 14.

His line with much younger wingers Philipp Kurashev and Taylor Raddysh has developed strong chemistry. On Tuesday against the Sabres, they produced one of the best performances by any Hawks trio all season.

“We were playing relaxed and playing with the puck and keeping plays alive and giving each other outs, and eventually things just develop,” Toews said. “And our confidence just builds from there. We created chances every time we had the puck, so it was nice to just have that feeling.”

Circling back to the elephant, Toews would like to find that same confidence when it comes to plotting his future. It has eluded him so far, though.

He insisted he isn’t tired of getting asked about the topic, which was probably a lie.

But his uncertainty about the trade-or-no-trade and retire-or-don’t-retire questions seems to be a sincere, if frustrating, truth.

“Things haven’t really taken shape yet,” he said. “It’s definitely a unique position that I haven’t been in before. I have nothing but good memories and gratitude for everything that has happened in Chicago and my career here and what this organization has meant to my family and myself. We’ll see, one way or another.”

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National rankings are fluid, but Camden N.J. star DJ Wagner, a Kentucky recruit and the son of Dajuan Wagner, is widely considered the best player in the country in the Class of 2023.

His team arrived at DePaul’s McGrath-Phillips Arena on Friday with a full entourage of fans and security and were surrounded by autograph seekers before and after knocking off Kenwood 68-54.

“Being in Chicago we knew we were going to have to come out and compete and play with energy from the start,” Wagner said. “But that’s the type of game you love. That’s what we play for. We knew what we were heading into.”

Top-ranked Kenwood, fresh of an upset loss to neighborhood rival Hyde Park on Thursday, matched Camden’s energy early. Senior Dai Dai Ames even outplayed Wagner in the first half.

Ames scored 15 in the first quarter and had 23 in the first half. He drained five three pointers and successfully attacked Wagner off the dribble. It was a fun matchup to watch.

But Ames just didn’t have enough help. Camden (13-2) focused on Ames in the second half and held him to just four points.

“I had it going in the first half,” Ames said. “My teammates should have tried to find me a bit more because I had the hot hand.”

The Kansas State recruit finished with 27 points. He made an impression on Wagner.

“He’s a good player so we had to come out in the second half and communicate better on defense against him,” Wagner said.

Wagner scored 26 points. He isn’t the only star at Camden. Seven-footer Aaron Bradshaw is also a top five player in the country and he’s a Kentucky recruit as well. Bradshaw scored six points and grabbed five rebounds.

St. Louis recruit Cian Medley added 15 points for Camden and junior Billy Richmond scored 14 and grabbed seven rebounds.

“It’s what we expected,” Kenwood coach Mike Irvin said. “They are strong and big and have seven Division 1 players.”

Irvin worked for a few months to bring Camden and Wagner to town.

“We wanted to pull off the win, but I also really wanted Chicago to see what good looks like,” Irvin said. “So many of our teams keep going out of state to play teams like this. Nobody ever wants to play them here. So, I took it on. I want to test my team. We can take some positives out of it.”

One of the positives was junior Isaiah Green. The Hillcrest transfer has been working his way into the rotation with his new team. It’s been an adjustment. He started the second half and gave Kenwood a real boost, scoring 12 points in the final two quarters.

“I let the team down against Hyde Park yesterday so I had to prove myself,” Green said. “I’m just happy they gave me another chance.”

Green thought Wagner lived up to his hype.

“He’s tough, Green said. “He showed me what a top player is and how you have to be in a game like this. I enjoyed that.”

Calvin Robins added eight points and seven rebounds for Kenwood, which had multiple starters wind up scoreless.

So, what’s next for Kenwood after consecutive losses? A trip to Lisle to face No. 4 Benet on Saturday.

“I’m going into that hostile environment and coming out with a win,” Irvin said. “I’m guaranteeing victory tomorrow.”

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When the musical “Cabaret” premiered in 1966, the horrors of Nazi Germany were still within living memory for millions of survivors. Yet almost 60 years on (and more than 90 years from its Weimar-Era Germany setting), “Cabaret” is no period piece.

Set in Berlin shortly before Hitler’s ascension to power, “Cabaret” is the story of a wild party raging obliviously on the edge of a genocidal abyss.

There’s nothing retro and everything urgent about Porchlight Music Theatre’s exquisitely cast, visually stunning production, running through Feb. 12 at the Ruth Page Center for the Arts.

Directed by Michael Weber and choreographed by Brenda Didier, the musical — (inspired by Christopher Isherwood’s 1939 novel “Goodbye to Berlin,” and the 1951 play “I Am a Camera”) by John Kander (composer), Fred Ebb (lyrics) and Joe Masteroff (book) — lights up the story with 21st century import.

The plot, barreling like a freight train across the stage, centers on Clifford Bradshaw (Gilbert Domally), an aspiring writer from Pittsburgh. His muse is Sally Bowles (Erica Stephan), star of Berlin’s so-seedy-its-glamorous Kit Kat Klub, a pansexual wonderland where Clifford entertains a few old lovers (he keeps running into boys who know him from London’s “Nightingale” club) before Sally moves into his cheap flat.

The driving engine of the Kit Kat is the Emcee (Josh Walker), a menacing, charismatic leader strutting on the knife-edge of joy and oblivion as he presides over the story that unfolds.

Inside the Kit Kat, the Emcee exhorts “life is beautiful.” Tellingly, one of the very first sounds the audience hears comes from outside the club — breaking glass. The early moment –before the first lines or lyrics — is a harbinger of an ominous incident much later in the show and a chilling evocation of the stormfront on the horizon.

The first third of “Cabaret” is filled with glorious cabaret numbers, backed by a terrific live onstage band conducted by music director Linda Madonia. The club’s infamous dancers are a Felliniesque crew resplendent in their scanties. (Costume designer Bill Morey’s flattering, intricate, perfectly tailored lingerie should be available to the masses.) Led by Stephan, songs such as “Don’t Tell Mama” is a cheeky delight; ditto the emphatically sex-positive cross-continential romp “Mein Herr.”

But the mood changes when Clifford’s landlord Fraulein Schneider (Mary Robin Roth) becomes engaged to Herr Shultz (Mark David Kaplan), a Jewish fruit seller. The scene shifts, and a surreal ensemble garbed in gleaming garb of Teutonic gods gradually assembles on stage to deliver “Tomorrow Belongs to Me.” The final, astounding operatic verse in this profoundly disturbing nationalistic anthem goes to Fraulein “Fritzie” Kost (Neala Barron), outfitted in a towering silvery headdress evoking a Nazi war eagle, surrounded by booming sycophants ready to do her bidding.

Clifford is the first to see the rising threats clearly. His moment of recognition comes at the engagement party, when “Tomorrow Belongs to Me” returns as a reprise performed not by gods, but by regular German working folk who grow increasingly aggressive as the number builds. In Domally’s subtly expressive face, it’s crystal clear that Clifford has definitely seen this brand of evil before.

Stephan’s Sally Bowles is outstanding, all freewheeling exuberance until the title tune, which becomes a complete emotional meltdown as Sally is forced to reckon with the end of her world in a song that celebrates it as nothing but an endless party.

As for Walker’s Emcee, he embodies the Kit Kat in all its incandescent insularity. His frenzied take on “Money” sizzles and haunts, the menage-a-trois “Two Ladies” is prime, bawdy vaudeville. Walker adds unspoken layers to the imminent threats.

Weber’s supporting cast doesn’t miss a step, either. Mary Robin Roth’s Fraulein Schneider knocks it out of the park, across the oceans and into the stratosphere with one of the most epic renditions of the wise, rueful “What Would You Do” that I’ve heard across 30 years and dozens of productions. Mark David Kaplan radiates a goodness that’ll make you weep for Herr Schultz’s likely fate.

In set designer Angela Weber Miller’s trenchant design, the oncoming train partially obscuring the band is a constant reminder. You can’t look at the Kit Kat Klub — even at its most intoxicating — without being cognizant of what’s coming for them all.

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