Chicago Sports

CHAMPAIGN – Nearly 90 points were scored in the Class 5A state championship game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, but the deciding moment was defensive.

Nazareth senior Zach Hayes ended Peoria’s final drive and sealed a 45-44 win and the state title with an interception in the final minute.

“I knew they couldn’t keep running the ball with the clock running down,” Hayes said. “I saw it before his receiver did. I made a break on the ball and secured it.

“The feelings that rushed through my head…I can’t believe it. I’m in shock still, this is all I ever wanted. And to be the one to get an interception to secure it, it’s just surreal.”

Sophomore quarterback Logan Malachuk and senior running back Justin Taylor, a Wisconsin recruit, were both instrumental in helping the Roadrunners keep pace with the Lions’ high-scoring offense.

Malachuck was 15-for-27 passing for 245 yards and two touchdowns. He also ran for a pair of scores. Taylor had 17 carries for 113 yards and one touchdown.

“If we want to we can score on every drive,” Malachuk said. “We displayed a lot of resiliency and we just battled and our defense stepped up when we needed it to. They got that two-point conversion stop and the interception.”

Sophomores Gabe Kaminski and James Penley each had 10 tackles for the Roadrunners (10-4). Penley also had four catches for 102 yards and Hayes caught four passes for 62 yards.

There were six lead changes in the game.

Senior running back Malachi Washington had 48 carries for 289 yards and six touchdowns for Peoria (12-2). The six scores ties the Class 5A and the overall record for rushing touchdowns in a title game. It’s also the most carries ever in a state title game.

“He was in my dreams,” Nazareth coach Tim Racki said. “You talk about an old school running back with power, speed, tenacity that gets stronger as the game goes on. That young man is a complete running back. Hands down the best running back we have seen all year and maybe for me in a few years. He’s very special.”

Nazareth is the first team to win a state title after starting the season 2-4. And the Roadrunners did it with an exceptionally young team. Just eight seniors started and 10 starters were freshmen or sophomores.

It’s the fourth state championship for Nazareth, which won Class 6A in 2014, Class 5A in 2015 and 7A in 2018. Racki also won four state titles at Driscoll.

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The Chicago Bears elevated a QB for Week 12

The Chicago Bears had questions about who would be their starting quarterback heading into Week 12. Quarterback Justin Fields sustained a shoulder injury against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. Reports came out that he had a separated shoulder. According to the Bears’ injury report for Friday, Fields was questionable to play against the New York Jets.

With Fields questionable to play against the Jets, the Bears elevated a quarterback this weekend. According to Mike Garafolo with the NFL Network, the Bears elevated quarterback Nathan Peterman before their Week 12 game against the Jets.

It’s still unclear if Fields will be able to play against the Jets. But this elevation seems to indicate the Bears are prepared to have backup quarterback Trevor Siemian start against the Jets. Peterman would then be the backup for Siemian.

The Bears will also miss rookie defensive backs Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon, who sustained concussion injuries. Linebacker Sterling Weatherford has also been ruled out against the Jets with a concussion.

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The Chicago Bears elevated a QB for Week 12

The Chicago Bears had questions about who would be their starting quarterback heading into Week 12. Quarterback Justin Fields sustained a shoulder injury against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. Reports came out that he had a separated shoulder. According to the Bears’ injury report for Friday, Fields was questionable to play against the New York Jets.

With Fields questionable to play against the Jets, the Bears elevated a quarterback this weekend. According to Mike Garafolo with the NFL Network, the Bears elevated quarterback Nathan Peterman before their Week 12 game against the Jets.

It’s still unclear if Fields will be able to play against the Jets. But this elevation seems to indicate the Bears are prepared to have backup quarterback Trevor Siemian start against the Jets. Peterman would then be the backup for Siemian.

The Bears will also miss rookie defensive backs Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon, who sustained concussion injuries. Linebacker Sterling Weatherford has also been ruled out against the Jets with a concussion.

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The Bears spent all week trying not to tip their hand about Justin Fields’ availability. Saturday, though, offered a clue that he won’t play.

The Bears promoted third-string quarterback Nathan Peterman from the practice squad before they flew to New Jersey in advance of Sunday’s Jets game. If Fields can’t play because of a separated left shoulder, Peterman would back up Trevor Siemian.

Fields hurt his shoulder Sunday when he was tackled along the Bears sideline on a fourth-quarter quarterback sweep. Fields was limited in practice all week, saying he was in pain but wanted to play.

The Bears ruled him questionable for the game Friday, with head coach Matt Eberflus refusing to say whether or not he’d start. He said Fields was likely to be a game-time decision.

Siemian has thrown one pass for the Bears this season, while Peterman had yet been active on game day. The Bears typically only have two quarterbacks on their game day roster.

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The Bears enter Week 12 banged up against the Jets

The Chicago Bears (3-8) come into the game with the New YorkJets (6-4) trying to end their season-long four game losing streak while the Jets are trying to stay in the playoff race in the AFC after their loss to the Patriots on Sunday. Here is a position by position breakdown of the Jets.

Quarterback: This game is the first matchup of Justin Fields versus Zach Wilson. Both of these quarterbacks were taken in the 2021 NFL Draft. Wilson was the 2nd overall pick in that draft and has a career record of 8-12 as a starter. While Fields, has a career record of 5-16.

Since Week 5, Wilson has only passed for more than 200 yards once and only has 4 touchdown passes in seven starts this season. The passing offense ranks 20th in passing yards and 22nd in yards per attempt. Last week versus the Patriots, the offense only had two yards of offense in the second half and Wilson went 9 for 22 for 77 yards for the entire game. When facing pressure, Wilson is last in passer rating, completion percentage and yards per attempt. 

Wilson is one of the biggest weaknesses of this Jets team that is trying to make the playoffs for the first time since 2010. After his lackluster performance versus the Patriots, head coach Robert Saleh has decided to bench Wilson and start Mike White versus the Bears on Sunday. White will make his fourth start in the NFL and has a career record of 1-2 with five touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Running Back: Coming into the season, the Jets had planned to have a running back platoon of Michael Carter and rookie Breece Hall. Carter got the first shot and the majority of the snaps in their first five games however he was removed for being ineffective and was replaced by Hall. The rookie emerged in week 5  and accumulated 463 rushing yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry before his sustained an injury to his ACL that ended his season.

After the injury to Hall, the Jets traded for running back James Robinson from the Jaguars but he has only managed 75 yards in three games for the Jets. Carter has done okay in place of Hall but the running game has been as good as it was with Hall. The running game ranks 18th in the league and has run for less than 100 yards in six of their nine games this season.

Offensive Line: According to ESPN, the Jets rank 11th in pass rush win rate and 9th in run rush rate this season. The Jets rank in the middle of the league in sacks allowed and pressure rate but just gave up a four sacks to the Patriots on Sunday.

The offensive line has dealt with injuries throughout the season and trying to replace those injured players has been difficult. Tackle Mehki Becton who started 13 games for the Jets last season fractured his knee cap in the pre season and is lost for the season. Tackle Duane Brown who the team signed in the offseason has also spent some time on injured reserve this season with a shoulder injury. Highly-regarded guard Alijah Vera-Tucker is out for the season with a torn triceps.

The most consistent offensive lineman this season has been guard Nate Herbig. Herbig ranks eighth in run block win rate this season according to ESPN and not allowed any sacks this season. The Bears should be able to overwhelm this injured offensive line and disrupt the Jets offense.

Wide Receiver: This group has not done well at all as the Jets have the 23rd ranked passing offense in the league and this group has only got four receiving touchdowns this season. Some of that is due to the inconsistency of Zach Wilson and the ability of Breece Hall (before his injury) and Michael Carter’s ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. Those two factors have even caused one of the Jets receivers to request a trade from the team. 

Rookie wide receiver Garrett Wilson leads the team in targets, receptions and receiving yards. Wilson is apart of this rookie wide receiver class that has been very impressive and making a difference on the teams that they were drafted to. Wilson only trails the Saints Chris Olave is receiving yards and yards per game this season among rookies.

The other wide receiver that has been productive for the Jets this season is Corey Davis. Davis, who grew up in the suburbs of Chicago is averaging a career-low 2.7 catches per game but is averaging 18.5 per reception which leads the team and is 2nd in the NFL. Davis is in his second year with the Jets and has been a disappointment so far for the team.

Davis has only played in 14  out of 26 games and has 53 catches, 843 yards and six touchdowns in his career with the Jets. His status for the game vs the Bears is up in the air after he missed the game on Sunday versus the Patriots.

The Bears secondary will not be tested by this pedestrian wide receiver group and a quarterback that struggles to complete passes down the field.

Tight Ends: The Jets use both Tyler Conklin and CJ Uzomah on the field for the majority of their offensive plays. Conklin has been more than productive than Uzomah and leads the team in receiving touchdowns with three but two of his touchdowns came in one game. Once again, the ineffectiveness of Zach Wilson as a passer has contributed to lack of production for the pass catchers of the Jets.

The Bears near to be aware of Conklin in the red zone where the majority of his touchdowns have come.

Defensive Line: The Jets have been game wreakers on the defensive line ranking in the top 10 in quarterback knockdowns, pressures, fewest yard per rush and rushing yards allowed. The player that has been a catalyst for this defensive line is Quinnen Williams. Williams has seven sacks which is tied for first in the league among defensive tackles and has the most quarterback hits among defensive tackles. Williams is having a career season and is a potential defensive player of the year candidate.

In addition to Williams, defensive end Carl Lawson is having a career year as well. Lawson is second on the team in sacks and quarterback hits. Last week, the Jets sacked Patriots quarterback Mac Jones six times and five of those sacks came from this tenacious defensive line.

This Jets defensive line is probably the best that the Bears have faced since facing the Cowboys in Week 8 and will be constantly trying to put pressure on Justin Fields and this Bears offensive line.

Linebackers: The Jets have been stellar versus the run and the linebackers for the Jets have been one of the reasons for their success. The leader of this group is C.J. Mosley. Mosley ranks in the top ten in tackles and has been the leader in tackles for the team in five out of their ten games. General Manager Joe Douglas restructured his contract this off-season to give the Jets some future salary cap room but he could be waived this off season by the Jets because of the shaky play he had in the beginning of his career with the Jets.

The other linebacker that has been impressive this season for the Jets is Quincy Williams. Williams who is the older brother of defensive tackle Quinnen Williams is second on the team in tackles behind Mosley. This season, he had six out of nine games he has had at least 5 tackles. Last year, the Jets allowed 138.3 rushing yards per game and so far this year they have allowed 103.7 rushing yards. The Bears may have some difficulty running versus this linebacker group.

Secondary: The Jets secondary has also taken a huge leap from the previous season as well. The star of this secondary is rookie Sauce Gardner. Gardner who was taken 4th overall in 2022 NFL Draft has been a true shutdown corner. He has been targeted 57 times and has only allowed one touchdown through ten games. He also leads the league in passes defended with 14. Gardner is one of the leading candidates to be Defensive Rookie of the Year.

The other cornerback who has stepped up is DJ Reed. Reed was signed this offseason as a free agent from the Seahawks and has not allowed a touchdown this season. He excels in zone coverage this season and has only allowed 89 yards while playing zone coverage.

With these two cornerbacks, the Jets have eleven interceptions which is already more than had during the entire 2021 season. The Bears wide receivers will have difficulty trying to get open versus this ball-hawking secondary.

Kicking/Special Teams: Kicker Greg Zuerlein has made 17 out of 20 field goals this season and has made a long of 57 yards versus the Bills. Punter Braden Mann averages 47.3 yards and is fifth in the number of punts this season. The weather is expected to be good on Sunday so that should not affect the kicking game for both teams.

Both the Jets and the Bears gave up special teams touchdowns on Sunday that was pivotal in their respective losses.

Let me know what you think about this article on Twitter. 

 

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Please send scores and corrections to [email protected].

Saturday, November 26, 2022

NON CONFERENCE

Amundsen at Bowen, 4:00

Austin at Proviso West, 6:00

Chatham Academy at Dunbar, 3:00

Clifton Central at Watseka, 7:30

Cristo Rey-St. Martin at Cristo Rey, 12:30

Hope Academy at Hansberry, 1:00

Southland at McNamara, 5:30

Winnebago at Pecatonica, 5:45

ASHTON-FRANKLIN CENTER

Hiawatha vs. Leland, 6:00

Amboy vs. West Carroll, 7:30

Polo vs. LaMoille, 6:00

Durand vs. Ashton-Franklin Center, 7:30

BATAVIA

Longwood vs. Raby, 6:00

Waubonsie Valley vs. Batavia, 7:30

BOYLAN

Richwoods vs. Freeport, 3:00

Marshall vs. Rockford Lutheran, 4:30

Boylan vs. St. Charles North, 6:00

COAL CITY / MANTENO

at Coal City

Seventh Place, 5:30

Coal City vs. Manteno, 7:00

Third Place, 5:30

Agricultural Science vs. TBA, 7:00

CRYSTAL LAKE CENTRAL

Belvidere North vs. Grayslake Central, 11:30

Hampshire vs. Hononegah, 1:00

Barrington vs. Crystal Lake Central, 2:30

DECATUR

Eisenhower (Decatur) vs. Springfield Southeast, 1:

Manual vs. Edwardsville, 2:30

Thornton vs. Peoria Central, 6:00

Bolingbrook vs. MacArthur, 7:30

DWIGHT / WOODLAND

at Dwight

Woodland vs. Grant Park, 2:00

Flanagan-Cornell vs. Earlville, 3:30

St. Bede vs. Dwight, 5:00

Ridgeview vs. Momence, 6:30

EL PASO-GRIDLEY

Olympia vs. Roanoke-Benson, 5:30

El Paso-Gridley vs. East Peoria, 7:00

FENTON

Clemente vs. Harlan, 2:30

Montini vs. Timothy Christian, 4:00

Fenton vs. Wheaton-Warr. South, 5:30

Fremd vs. Rolling Meadows, 7:00

GALESBURG

Madison vs. Wells, , 9:00a

Galesburg vs Ogden, 10:30

Wells vs. DeKalb, 1:00

Canton vs. Madison, 2:30

Ogden vs. Dunlap, 4:00

DeKalb vs. Galesburg, 7:30

GENESEO

Intrinsic-Downtown vs. Geneseo, 9:00a

Rock Falls vs. Erie-Prophetstown, 10:30

Kewanee vs. Rockridge, 12:00

East Moline vs. Rock Falls, 1:30

Erie-Prophetstown vs. Intrinsic-Downtown, 3:00

Rockridge vs. East Moline, 5:30

Geneseo vs. Kewanee, 7:00

GIBSON CITY-MELVIN-SIBLEY

Tri-Point vs. Fisher, 1:00

GCMS / Hoopeston vs. Armstrong-Potomac, 2:30

GCMS / Hoopeston vs. Lexington, 4:00

Iroquois West vs. Prairie Central, 5:30

GRANT / MUNDELEIN

at Mundelein

Lakes vs. Schurz, 12:00

Deerfield vs. Comer, 1:30

Carmel vs. Grant, 3:00

Mundelein vs. Warren, 4:30

HOMETOWN COMMUNITY

Phillips at Pekin, 11:30

North Chicago at Limestone, 11:30

North Chicago at Pekin, 6:00

Thornton Fr. North at Limestone, 6:00

Phillips at Morton, 6:45

JACKSONVILLE

Brooks vs. Notre Dame (Peoria), 11:00

Jacksonville vs. Glenwood, 12:30

Brooks vs. Glenwood, 5:30

LOYOLA / NEW TRIER

at Loyola

Rauner vs. Bulls Prep, 10:00

Butler vs. Taft, 11:45

Loyola vs. Lake Forest, 1:30

New Trier vs. St. Ignatius, 3:15

MAINE WEST

Lake Zurich vs. Elk Grove, 12:00

Maine West vs. Hoffman Estates, 1:30

NORTHRIDGE

Amundsen vs. Bowen, 4:00

Wheeling vs. Northridge, 5:30

OREGON

Oregon vs. North Boone, 11:00

Plano vs. Aquin, 11:00

Milledgeville vs. Harvard, 12:30

Christian Life vs. Hinckley-Big Rock, 12:30

Morrison vs. Newman, 2:00

Rockford Christian vs. South Beloit, 2:00

11th Place, 4:00

9th Place, 4:00

7th Place, 5:30

5th Place, 5:30

Third Place, 7:00

Championship, 7:00

OTTAWA

Marengo vs. Oak Forest, 1:00

Ottawa vs. LaSalle-Peru, 2:30

Thornridge vs. Oak Forest, 4:00

Pontiac vs. Princeton, 5:30

PALATINE

Round Lake vs. Buffalo Grove, 10:30

Jacobs vs. York, 12:00

Palatine vs. Hersey, 1:45

Glenbrook South vs. Stevenson, 3:15

QUINCY

Miller (MO) vs. Dixon, 5:30

Quincy vs. Lanphier, 7:00

RIDGEWOOD

Seventh Place, 10:00

Fifth Place, 12:00

Third Place, 10:00

Championship, 12:00

RIVERSIDE-BROOKFIELD

Zion-Benton vs. Hinsdale South, 12:00

Morton vs. University High, 1:30

Thornwood vs. Riverside-Brookfield, 3:00

Brother Rice vs. Curie, 4:30

ROCK ISLAND

Dyett vs. Carver, 10:00

Waukegan vs. Rock Island, 12:00

Tinley Park vs. Dyett, 2:00

Carver vs. Waukegan, 6:00

Tinley Park vs. Rock Island, 7:30

ROCKFORD

at Auburn

Bogan vs. Jefferson, 10:00

East St. Louis vs. Auburn, 11:30

Guilford vs. Perspectives-MSA, 1:00

Jefferson vs. Clark, 2:30

Rockford East vs. East St. Louis, 4:00

Harlem vs. Bogan, 5:30

Auburn vs. Larkin, 7:00

ROWVA-WILLIAMSFIELD

Henry-Senachwine vs. ROWVA-Williamsfield, 1:00

Henry-Senachwine vs. Galva, 4:00

ST. CHARLES EAST

East Aurora vs. South Elgin, 2:30

St. Charles vs. Willowbrook, 4:00

Westinghouse vs. Plainfield East, 5:30

Proviso East vs. Benet, 7:00

ST. VIATOR

Antioch vs. Libertyville, 1:30

Evanston vs. St. Viator, 3:00

SENECA

St. Anne vs. Somonauk, 1:00

Herscher vs. Mendota, 2:30

Serena vs. Hall, 4:00

Newark vs. Seneca, 5:30

STAGG

Lindblom vs. Argo, 1:00

Plainfield South vs. Stagg, 2:30

SYCAMORE

Belvidere vs. Sandwich, 3:00

Sycamore vs. Rochelle, 4:30

Dundee-Crown vs. Sterling, 6:00

Yorkville vs. Burlington Central, 7:30

WASHINGTON (IL)

St. Rita vs. Yorkville Christian, 11:00

WESTMINSTER CHRISTIAN

Horizon-Southwest vs. Indian Creek, 2:30

Westminster Christian vs. Elgin, 4:00

Elgin Academy vs. Genoa-Kingston, 5:30

St. Edward vs. Aurora Christian, 7:30

WETHERSFIELD

Bureau Valley vs. Putnam County, 4:00

Elmwood vs. Stark County, 6:30

Annawan vs. Wethersfield, 8:00

WHEATON ACADEMY

Wheaton Academy vs. St. Francis, 2:30

Fifth Place, 4:00

Bartlett vs. Metea Valley, 5:45

Championship, 7:30

WJOL / ST. FRANCIS UNIVERSITY

Minooka vs. Providence, 10:00

Joliet Central vs. Plainfield Central, 11:45

Bradley-Bourbonnais vs. Lockport, 1:30

Lemont vs. Romeoville, 3:15

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The Jets haven’t had a 4,000-yard passer in 55 years. The Bears? Never.Read More

Ezra Hendrickson’s first head-coaching season with the Fire certainly was educational, teaching him some new lessons after he had served as an assistant with three teams.

”As a first-year coach, I learned a lot of things,” Hendrickson said shortly after the 2022 season ended.

During the season, Hendrickson showed some weaknesses to improve on and some strengths to use as a foundation entering 2023.

He probably waited too long to start Jhon Duran over struggling Kacper Przybylko at striker, a decision that cost the Fire goals and points. Squandering a pair of home 2-0 leads that turned into 3-2 losses didn’t reflect well on Hendrickson’s coaching. And the Fire were never consistently able to defend and attack well at the same time. It seemed as though if one part of the team was doing well, the other probably was sputtering.

On the plus side, youngsters Duran and Brian Gutierrez took steps forward. The Fire had a generally dependable back line, and their strong start at least provided a glimpse of Hendrickson’s vision.

Another area Hendrickson seems confident in is the culture he instilled during the season.

Perhaps the best example of that was how the Fire responded after their 3-2 loss to the Crew on July 9 at Soldier Field. That was the first of two home defeats after holding a 2-0 lead, and the obituaries for the season were being written soon after the final whistle.

Instead of capitulating, however, the Fire were unbeaten in their next five games — including four victories — to get back into the playoff picture. Hendrickson said a team with a poor culture wouldn’t have been able to recover the way they did.

“We showed some resilience,” Hendrickson said. “We showed some team chemistry, and we showed some fight that we were able to . . . go on a nice run of games where we just bonded together as a team and did what we set out to do from the start of the season.

“In that aspect, keeping a cohesive group, a group that believes in each other, a group that believes in what it is that you are doing, we are very good at doing that.”

The next part of making that culture permanent, however, is winning.

Hendrickson, an MLS Cup winner with three teams during his playing career, knows that. A constructive culture only goes so far when the victories don’t come, and it routinely comes undone when losses pile up.

Hendrickson doesn’t think that happened in 2022, the fifth consecutive season in which the Fire missed the playoffs.

Even though the Fire again failed to reach the postseason, however, Hendrickson liked how they played down the stretch, crediting them with not giving up. He was encouraged by late road ties against the Revolution and Crew, results that would’ve looked better if the Fire didn’t need three points from those games.

“In the growth of the culture and the team as a whole, it’s been really good this year,” Hendrickson said. ”We have shown some progress. We are showing that we are on the right track to where we are trying to be. I would say that things are looking up rather than looking downward.”

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None of this has caught Billy Donovan off guard.

Maybe that’s why he sounded more sage than coach from Day 1 of the Bulls’ training camp.

“I knew this year was going to be a lot harder than last year, I just knew what was coming, and I’m not surprised,” Donovan has said several times, including last week.

Further evidence of that difficulty was again on display in the overtime loss to Oklahoma City on Friday night. More defensive lulls, more careless turnovers, and again not always understanding how to take advantage of mismatches.

“We’ve just got to be able to stay the course and respond,” Donovan said. “Like I said, this wasn’t going to be easy.”

Breaking the stallions rarely is.

It’s not an excuse for the 8-11 record, but what Donovan and his staff have been trying to do on the offensive end is change habits. Not only habits from last season, but for several players, habits they’ve had for years.

Simply put by Donovan, if the Bulls want to reach the second round of the playoffs – where executive vice president of basketball operations Arturas Karnisovas has set the bar – then they need to be less DeMar DeRozan-centric.

“DeMar took us as far as he can take us, and we really have to look at, OK, how can we make another step or jump?” Donovan explained. “If we get back to that, where it’s all [isolations] all the time, it just gets too easy to defend. This is going to take some time offensively for us to play the way we need to play, which is a little bit different.”

That doesn’t mean he doesn’t want to lean on DeRozan, especially late in games. Crunch time often comes down to isolation basketball, my best vs. your best. Since last season, there have been few better than DeRozan in fourth-quarter scoring and hero moments. Donovan just doesn’t want everyone standing around and hoping DeRozan can throw the cape on and carry the day.

So while back-to-back victories over Boston and Milwaukee this week were considered the signature wins of the young season, it might actually be a Nov. 7 game against Toronto that Donovan would point to.

Getting 35 points from the bench that night was huge, as was Zach LaVine’s 30, while youngsters Patrick Williams and Ayo Dosunmu added a combined 22.

As for DeRozan?

Nine points, including 5-of-6 from the free throw line, six rebounds, but the real kicker? Seven assists. That didn’t include the hockey assists that led to a basket because of DeRozan’s presence and spacing.

Bigger picture? In the eight Bulls wins this season, DeRozan averaged 22.6 points and 5.6 assists per game. In the 11 losses, the veteran was 28.7 points and 3.7 assists.

Compare that to LaVine, who was averaging 22.3 points per game in wins and 19.9 points in losses.

So is less of DeRozan actually more in Donovan’s new-look offense? Not necessarily. The coach wants better spacing – that’s why Nikola Vucevic has found himself with career numbers in corner threes already this season – but also doesn’t want the ball sticking to one player too long.

The fourth quarter in the win at Milwaukee was a film gem that Donovan could also point to.

DeRozan got his 36 in that game, but also had a team-high eight assists. In that final stanza, however, it was just five points from DeRozan.

Fast forward to the loss to the Thunder and the overtime, LaVine, Vucevic, and DeRozan were the only three to take shots – although LaVine and Vucevic only put up three-pointers – and DeRozan was the only one that scored, going 3-for-6.

Easily defended, difficult to win.

So was the loss in Oklahoma City really a shocker? For some. Just not Donovan.

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LAS VEGAS — Positive remarks have been floating around Vegas sportsbooks about the exciting NFL team whose betting attention has escalated in recent weeks, with an average of 29.6 points.

Had this team been producing that the entire season, it would be a notch behind the league-leading, 30-points-a-game Chiefs.

The Eagles? Bills? Bengals?

Nope.

Despite having lost four consecutive games and seven of their last eight, the Bears have been luring the cash.

Duane Colucci, director of race and sports at the Rampart Casino in Summerlin, where a hive of Chicago ex-pats and fans reside, noted the uptick in Bears business, the protagonist being second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

“It’s picking up momentum, and a lot of that has to do with Fields,” Colucci said. “He’s flashy. He’s doing things [Michael] Vick and Lamar Jackson have done, duplicating their numbers.

“This kid has the talent. He’s a focus on the future. You’re hearing some positive thoughts now out of Bears fans and backers, which hasn’t been the case for years.”

The wave of points has triggered bundles of betting dough, as Bears games are 7-4 to over. The optimal total angle, however, has been on their first halves, which is 8-3 to over.

APPETIZERS

Digging deeper reveals other nuggets, like playing over on the Bears’ projected team-points total and Fields’ estimated rushing yards. The Bears lost 27-24 to the Falcons on Sunday. But New York-based handicapper Tom Barton capitalized, for a fifth consecutive week, by betting over on the Bears’ team total of 22 points.

And in each of the last three weeks, Barton was on over regarding Fields’s rushing yards; on Sunday, that mark was 70.5, and Fields ran for 85 yards.

Over the previous two weeks, that figure was in the 60s; he dashed for 147 and 178 yards in those games, respectively.

“They’re handing out free money,” Barton said. “I also hit on [Fields] scoring a TD [against the Falcons] at even money, but the previous two weeks that was +120 or higher. I’ve been making a small fortune.”

Fields has run for at least one touchdown in each of his last five games.

On the Bears’ team totals (in the low 20s) over the last five weeks, Barton has risked nearly $7,000, clearing more than $6,000 in profit by going 5-0.

When the Bears hosted the Dolphins, he drove 130 miles from his home near the tip of Long Island to Atlantic City to lay $3,000 on the Bears. The Dolphins won 35-32.

“Loved that bet,” Barton said. “They don’t come around very often.”

He was perplexed last week when both BetMGM and Caesars issued statements about their most popular prop action, in tickets and money, being over on Fields’s rushing yards.

On his nationally syndicated SportsGarten sports-gambling radio show, Barton predicted they’d boost that into the 80s in Atlanta, but it was 70.5.

“Why would they post [those statements], other than to dare people to take the under? Then they barely move the line?”

Barton stresses treading lightly, though, for Sunday’s game against the Jets, whose defense is formidable. Plus, Fields got banged up in Atlanta, and the books might actually post something in the 80s.

COUGS GROWING CLAWS

Northwestern State registered the mammoth early college hoops shock victory, as a +1100 moneyline underdog, in a 64-63 victory at 25-point favorite TCU on Nov. 14. Risking $100 won $1,100.

Instead of taking the spread points, betting the underdog to win outright — on the moneyline — is a gutsy tactic but returns a handsome, if not hefty, profit.

Colorado (+900 ML) upended Tennessee 78-66. Murray State (+650) dunked Texas A&M 88-79. Prairie View A&M (+525) slapped Washington State 70-59.

Of all the upheavals, however, our favorite occurred Nov. 16 when Chicago State, at +425, defeated Valparaiso 87-74 at the Cougars’ Jones Convocation Center. Guards Eljah Weaver and Wesley Cardet are the rudders.

The program went 28-170 in the seven seasons before coach Gerald Gillion arrived a year ago. It won seven games last season, but it made noise in my world by covering the spread in 18 of 32 games.

That .563 cover percentage produced a return of 2.6 units. That might seem flimsy, but Chicago State being a profitable wagering option wasn’t fathomable not so long ago.

This is a bold season for Gillion — one of only two independents, with Hartford. Tough road games (Marquette, Minnesota, Stanford, Gonzaga) will deliver vital paydays for the program’s survival.

However, those big boys have been warned; Gillion is teaching these Cougars how to win.

SPIRALING

The Blackhawks won four of their first six games, perhaps inspiring some fans to hope this wouldn’t be a futile campaign. Then came 10 defeats over their next 12 games.

Circa Sports oddsman and NHL ace Jeff Davis has seen some promise in keeper Arvid Soderblom. However, Davis views that early win streak as an anomaly for a team struggling in key 5-on-5 categories.

Davis gave us a dismal Hawks preseason forecast, with the $10.5 million contracts of 34-year-old players Patrick Kane (team-best 14 points) and Jonathan Toews (12 points) being particularly prickly.

“I wouldn’t know when it would be,” Davis said Monday, “but the sooner they trade one or both of them, the more their potential return would likely be than if they waited right up until the deadline.”

The NHL trading deadline is Friday, March 3.

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