Chicago Sports

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy thought the first play of the Bears’ ill-fated final drive Sunday would go for 10 yards.

Instead, it ended with quarterback Justin Fields landing awkwardly and separating his left shoulder.

“So it went from being like a 10-yard run out of bounds, not get hit, everyone’s happy,” Getsy said, “to a two-yard, roll out of bounds and fall on your shoulder.

“It turned into a pretty bad thing pretty quickly.”

That’s an understatement.

The next two plays weren’t much better — Fields running the wrong play on second down and getting hit after he slid, followed by a third-down interception. Like that, the Bears had failed to score on yet another final drive, sealing a 27-24 loss to the Falcons.

Getsy on Thursday tried to explain the inexplicable: how the Bears’ last offensive gasp resulted in two runs and an interception on a short throw.

To understand why in the world he would call a Fields sweep on the first play of their final drive, he said, you have to go back to the middle of the second quarter.

The Bears were facing third-and-five at the Falcons’ 22 when Fields took a shotgun snap and ran left. Tight end Cole Kmet sealed defensive end Adetokunbo Ogundeji, leaving left tackle Braxton Jones to pull left. Jones ran past inside linebacker Beau Brinkley, who was rushing over his inside shoulder, to try to block safety Jaylinn Hawkins on the outside. David Montgomery also tried to block Hawkins.

Brinkley shot inside and tackled Fields for a one-yard loss. As the quarterback stood up along the sideline, Montgomery pointed to the rookie left tackle to tell him he blocked the wrong guy.

“Braxton kind of just ran right by the guy,” Getsy said. “Probably a 15-, 20-yard gain we left on the table.”

He filed the play away for later, believing Jones would might the right block for a long gain.

The Bears had 1:47 to play and three timeouts left — plenty of time to call running plays, Getsy said. With the ball at their own 25, the Bears had to go 40 yards or so to set up a Cairo Santos field goal to try to tie the game.

“We’re in great shape, only needing the field goal,” he said. “Want the touchdown. Need a field goal. You’re in great shape, pretty much can do whatever you want in that situation.”

Getsy said he wasn’t concerned by Fields’ hamstring cramps during the second half; it’s not unusual, he said, for the quarterback to have his legs stretched on the sideline. On first down, he called the sweep.

Again, Kmet sealed the defensive end. Again, Jones pulled left. He looked inside — but his man, cornerback Dee Alford, was rushing over Jones’ outside shoulder. Alford tackled Fields as he ran out of bounds and fell on his shoulder.

Getsy knew his shoulder was hurting on second down, so he called a draw for running back David Montgomery.

“Because he had the injury we thought, ‘Let’s give him a breather play,'” he said. “Let’s just get a draw off. And obviously he was in discomfort [so] that he kind of lost sight of what the play was.”

Rather than hand it off, Fields kept the ball himself and ran for four yards. He slid and was hit by defensive lineman Grady Jarrett. There was no flag.

On third-and-five, Fields threw an interception on a high checkdown pass that tipped off Montgomery’s fingers to seal the loss.

“He performed the play correctly,” Getsy said. “Just a little bit too late.”

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Bears quarterback Justin Fields was limited in practice Thursday, leaving his status to start Sunday’s game against the Jets very much in doubt.

Fields separated his left shoulder when he landed awkwardly after a fourth-quarter tackle in Sunday’s 27-24 loss to the Falcons on Sunday. The Bears held a walk-through Wednesday, but estimated that he would have been limited had it been a full practice.

Fields said Wednesday that he was in considerable pain. That figures to be the case all week — though Fields could have a numbing injection an hour or so before kickoff Sunday that would make his shoulder feel better.

Two Bears rookie starters remained out Thursday with concussions: safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Kyler Gordon. The former was pulled out of the game by independent concussion spotters twice Sunday before was allowed to return and finish the game. Gordon did not finish the game.

Linebacker Sterling Weatherford is also in concussion protocol.

Guard Teven Jenkins, who has a hip injury, practiced in full for the second-straight day.

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Undefeated, top-ranked Mount Carmel certainly remembers last season’s thrilling win against Batavia in the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs.

There were two controversial pass interference calls and the Caravan eventually won on an untimed down. But Mount Carmel has moved on. Quarterback Blainey Dowling is a completely different player, stronger and much more dangerous.

The loss has lingered in Batavia.

“That was a very emotional game for our program, our community and our kids,” Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron said. “I pretty much heard about it every week for a whole year. If anything I’ll be glad we are done talking about it.”

Batavia doesn’t seem obsessed with revenge against Mount Carmel. It’s a state title game and that is always a special moment for a community, especially a football-crazed place like Batavia. But matching up against the Caravan again adds some spice to the game, which is at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Champaign.

Batavia has two Power Five bound linebackers, Tyler Jansey (Wisconsin) and Jack Sadowsky (Iowa State). The Bulldogs’ offense has improved throughout the season but it’s a defensive-led team.

“[Jansey] is like a comic book hero,” Piron said. “He’s special, playing terrifying linebacker and powerful running back. He took some criticism after last year’s game. It wasn’t always nice.”

Mount Carmel (13-0) has been extremely difficult to run against this season.

“We are built on our front seven,” Caravan coach Jordan Lynch said. “They are physical and they fly around.”

Denny Furlong and Alonzo Manning have stepped up and helped fill the void after Mount Carmel star running back Darrion Dupree was injured. But the biggest offensive sparks come from the passing game now. Dowling has been fantastic, throwing for 2,719 yards and 39 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

It’s difficult to see Batavia scoring enough points to pull off the upset, but anything can happen in a state championship game.

Class 8A: Lincoln-Way East vs. Loyola, 7 p.m., Saturday

Lincoln-Way East (13-0) is undefeated, but Loyola (12-1) is the favorite. Mount Carmel is the only team that has challenged the Ramblers this season. Loyola trounced unbeaten York 30-3 in the semifinals.

Colgate recruit Jake Stearney (2,149 yards passing with 34 touchdowns and three interceptions) is an experienced, effective quarterback and the Ramblers keep finding new faces to step up for injured running backs. Sophomore Luke Foster will likely be the featured back in the title game.

Michigan-bound defensive lineman Brooks Bahr anchors the Loyola defense. Senior Johnny McGuire has emerged as a factor in the defensive backfield.

“He’s played outstanding,” Loyola coach John Holecek said. “Every game I’m more astonished by what he can do. He’s just a monster, fast and strong. He has an offer from Colgate but I think he’s more of a Big Ten kid.”

The undefeated Griffins lack star power and big-time college recruits, but any doubts about the team were obliterated in the semifinals when they dominated Glenbard West 31-7.

“There’s no AJ Henning in the group,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “It’s more regular kids getting the most out of themselves and enjoying and loving playing together as a team.”

Running back James Kwiecinski is averaging 115 yards a game and has scored 26 touchdowns. He’s the workhorse for the offense but receiver Jimmy Curtin and quarterback Braden Tischer have built a solid connection throughout the season with 10 touchdown passes.

“[Jake Scianna] is the heart and soul of our defense,” Zvonar said. “He has 200 tackles and is the best middle linebacker in the state in my opinion. His two brothers played for us in state championship games as well.”

Class 6A: Prairie Ridge vs. East St. Louis 1 p.m., Saturday

Once again, it is a Fox Valley conference team against East St. Louis. Cary-Grove upset the Flyers last season. This is the sixth consecutive year that either Cary-Grove or Prairie Ridge has reached the 6A title game.

Prairie Ridge (12-1) lost to East St. Louis in 2019 and won the title in 2017, 2016 and 2011.

As usual, the Flyers are favorites. But East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett isn’t thrilled about facing another team that runs the triple option.

“It’s an offense that not many teams run anymore,” Sunkett said. “We have our work cut out for us. There is no way to simulate what they do offensively. The main thing is to figure out their blocking schemes.”

Tyler Vasey, the Wolves’ quarterback, is a major Player of the Year contender. He’s rushed for 3,776 yards and 52 touchdowns.

East St. Louis (11-2) hasn’t lost to a team in Illinois. The Flyers are loaded with college prospects and have only been challenged once all season, when they beat Lemont 32-29 in the semifinals.

Class 5A: Nazareth vs. Peoria, 10 a.m. Saturday

Nazareth’s road to Champaign was bumpy and at times, unlikely.

“When we were 2-4 one of my assistants mentioned something about playoffs and I busted out laughing,” Roadrunners coach Tim Racki said.

Nazareth’s young group closed the regular season with a four-game winning streak and didn’t let up in the playoffs. The Roadrunners knocked off Boylan, shut out Morgan Park and survived 10-7 against rugged, unbeaten Sycamore.

Racki’s philosophy was to encourage his team and try to stifle any instinct to yell and bring the group down. That’s the typical approach of young coaches and it seems to be the best way to reach the current generation of players.

“I knew I had a bunch of young guns around me,” Racki said after the Morgan Park win. “Everybody thought I’d be yelling at them after the losses. I kept picking them up. Telling them what they did well and what they did wrong and they responded to that.”

Sophomore quarterback Logan Malachuk has thrown for 2,233 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s become more of a running threat this season, with five touchdowns on the ground.

Senior Justin Taylor, a Wisconsin recruit, averages 5.23 yards per carry and has 46 catches. He’s scored a team-high 11 touchdowns.

Nazareth’s defense is deceptively strong. St. Rita, Lemont and Marist (all powerhouse programs in bigger classes) put up points on the Roadrunners but that hasn’t been the case in Class 5A. Nazareth shut out Kankakee in the season opener and allowed just three touchdowns in three playoff games.

The defense will get all it can handle on Saturday in the Class 5A state title game in Champaign. Peoria (12-1) is averaging 55 points in the playoffs and beat Morris 76-56 in the semifinals.

Running back Malachi Washington has 47 touchdowns and 3,073 yards rushing. Quarterback Tino Gist has thrown for 2,241 yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Expect a shootout in the first game of the day on Saturday.

There are local teams in the last two championship games on Friday. Here’s a look at those matchups. We’ll have a preview of the Class 8A, 7A and 6A games tomorrow.

Class 4A: Providence vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin, 7 p.m., Friday

The Celtics (9-4) plowed through the toughest road to the title game. They defeated defending state champions Joliet Catholic (a team that beat them in Week 4), Richmond-Burton and St. Francis. It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see any of those three teams in Champaign.

First-year coach Tyler Plantz now has a battle-tested squad spearheaded by junior running back Kaden Nickel.

“He’s an animal,” Plantz said. “He’s not the biggest kid on the field but you are gonna feel his pads if you are on the other side of it.”

Sacred-Heart Griffin (13-0) is a powerhouse that averages 58 points while allowing more than 16 just twice. Longtime coach Ken Leonard, the winningest coach in state history, has led SHG to five state championships and four second-place finishes.

Class 3A: IC Catholic vs. Williamsville, 4 p.m., Friday

IC Catholic is a familiar face in the state finals after winning Class 3A titles in 2016 and 2017 and the Class 4A title in 2018. The Knights only loss this season was a one-point defeat to Joliet Catholic and they are the favorites against Williamsville (12-1), a school 14 miles north of Springfield.

KJ Parker and Denzell Gibson are dynamic threats on both sides of the ball for IC Catholic. They’ve combined for 37 touchdowns. Parker has 33 receptions for 996 yards and Gibson is averaging 9.6 yards a carry.

“[Gibson] can do everything,” IC Catholic coach Bill Kreft said. “He’s one of the best athletes to come through IC and can jump from running back to receiver.

“We get Parker as many touches as we can. He could be our whole offense, he’s that explosive. He’s selfless and blocks his butt off on the edge.”

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Undefeated, top-ranked Mount Carmel certainly remembers last season’s thrilling win against Batavia in the second round of the Class 7A state playoffs.

There were two controversial pass interference calls and the Caravan eventually won on an untimed down. But Mount Carmel has moved on. Quarterback Blainey Dowling is a completely different player, stronger and much more dangerous.

The loss has lingered in Batavia.

“That was a very emotional game for our program, our community and our kids,” Bulldogs coach Dennis Piron said. “I pretty much heard about it every week for a whole year. If anything I’ll be glad we are done talking about it.”

Batavia doesn’t seem obsessed with revenge against Mount Carmel. It’s a state title game and that is always a special moment for a community, especially a football-crazed place like Batavia. But matching up against the Caravan again adds some spice to the game, which is at 4 p.m. on Saturday in Champaign.

Batavia has two Power Five bound linebackers, Tyler Jansey (Wisconsin) and Jack Sadowsky (Iowa State). The Bulldogs’ offense has improved throughout the season but it’s a defensive-led team.

“[Jansey] is like a comic book hero,” Piron said. “He’s special, playing terrifying linebacker and powerful running back. He took some criticism after last year’s game. It wasn’t always nice.”

Mount Carmel (13-0) has been extremely difficult to run against this season.

“We are built on our front seven,” Caravan coach Jordan Lynch said. “They are physical and they fly around.”

Denny Furlong and Alonzo Manning have stepped up and helped fill the void after Mount Carmel star running back Darrion Dupree was injured. But the biggest offensive sparks come from the passing game now. Dowling has been fantastic, throwing for 2,719 yards and 39 touchdowns with just six interceptions.

It’s difficult to see Batavia scoring enough points to pull off the upset, but anything can happen in a state championship game.

Class 8A: Lincoln-Way East vs. Loyola, 7 p.m., Saturday

Lincoln-Way East (13-0) is undefeated, but Loyola (12-1) is the favorite. Mount Carmel is the only team that has challenged the Ramblers this season. Loyola trounced unbeaten York 30-3 in the semifinals.

Colgate recruit Jake Stearney (2,149 yards passing with 34 touchdowns and three interceptions) is an experienced, effective quarterback and the Ramblers keep finding new faces to step up for injured running backs. Sophomore Luke Foster will likely be the featured back in the title game.

Michigan-bound defensive lineman Brooks Bahr anchors the Loyola defense. Senior Johnny McGuire has emerged as a factor in the defensive backfield.

“He’s played outstanding,” Loyola coach John Holecek said. “Every game I’m more astonished by what he can do. He’s just a monster, fast and strong. He has an offer from Colgate but I think he’s more of a Big Ten kid.”

The undefeated Griffins lack star power and big-time college recruits, but any doubts about the team were obliterated in the semifinals when they dominated Glenbard West 31-7.

“There’s no AJ Henning in the group,” Lincoln-Way East coach Rob Zvonar said. “It’s more regular kids getting the most out of themselves and enjoying and loving playing together as a team.”

Running back James Kwiecinski is averaging 115 yards a game and has scored 26 touchdowns. He’s the workhorse for the offense but receiver Jimmy Curtin and quarterback Braden Tischer have built a solid connection throughout the season with 10 touchdown passes.

“[Jake Scianna] is the heart and soul of our defense,” Zvonar said. “He has 200 tackles and is the best middle linebacker in the state in my opinion. His two brothers played for us in state championship games as well.”

Class 6A: Prairie Ridge vs. East St. Louis 1 p.m., Saturday

Once again, it is a Fox Valley conference team against East St. Louis. Cary-Grove upset the Flyers last season. This is the sixth consecutive year that either Cary-Grove or Prairie Ridge has reached the 6A title game.

Prairie Ridge (12-1) lost to East St. Louis in 2019 and won the title in 2017, 2016 and 2011.

As usual, the Flyers are favorites. But East St. Louis coach Darren Sunkett isn’t thrilled about facing another team that runs the triple option.

“It’s an offense that not many teams run anymore,” Sunkett said. “We have our work cut out for us. There is no way to simulate what they do offensively. The main thing is to figure out their blocking schemes.”

Tyler Vasey, the Wolves’ quarterback, is a major Player of the Year contender. He’s rushed for 3,776 yards and 52 touchdowns.

East St. Louis (11-2) hasn’t lost to a team in Illinois. The Flyers are loaded with college prospects and have only been challenged once all season, when they beat Lemont 32-29 in the semifinals.

Class 5A: Nazareth vs. Peoria, 10 a.m. Saturday

Nazareth’s road to Champaign was bumpy and at times, unlikely.

“When we were 2-4 one of my assistants mentioned something about playoffs and I busted out laughing,” Roadrunners coach Tim Racki said.

Nazareth’s young group closed the regular season with a four-game winning streak and didn’t let up in the playoffs. The Roadrunners knocked off Boylan, shut out Morgan Park and survived 10-7 against rugged, unbeaten Sycamore.

Racki’s philosophy was to encourage his team and try to stifle any instinct to yell and bring the group down. That’s the typical approach of young coaches and it seems to be the best way to reach the current generation of players.

“I knew I had a bunch of young guns around me,” Racki said after the Morgan Park win. “Everybody thought I’d be yelling at them after the losses. I kept picking them up. Telling them what they did well and what they did wrong and they responded to that.”

Sophomore quarterback Logan Malachuk has thrown for 2,233 yards with 14 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He’s become more of a running threat this season, with five touchdowns on the ground.

Senior Justin Taylor, a Wisconsin recruit, averages 5.23 yards per carry and has 46 catches. He’s scored a team-high 11 touchdowns.

Nazareth’s defense is deceptively strong. St. Rita, Lemont and Marist (all powerhouse programs in bigger classes) put up points on the Roadrunners but that hasn’t been the case in Class 5A. Nazareth shut out Kankakee in the season opener and allowed just three touchdowns in three playoff games.

The defense will get all it can handle on Saturday in the Class 5A state title game in Champaign. Peoria (12-1) is averaging 55 points in the playoffs and beat Morris 76-56 in the semifinals.

Running back Malachi Washington has 47 touchdowns and 3,073 yards rushing. Quarterback Tino Gist has thrown for 2,241 yards with 29 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Expect a shootout in the first game of the day on Saturday.

There are local teams in the last two championship games on Friday. Here’s a look at those matchups. We’ll have a preview of the Class 8A, 7A and 6A games tomorrow.

Class 4A: Providence vs. Sacred Heart-Griffin, 7 p.m., Friday

The Celtics (9-4) plowed through the toughest road to the title game. They defeated defending state champions Joliet Catholic (a team that beat them in Week 4), Richmond-Burton and St. Francis. It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see any of those three teams in Champaign.

First-year coach Tyler Plantz now has a battle-tested squad spearheaded by junior running back Kaden Nickel.

“He’s an animal,” Plantz said. “He’s not the biggest kid on the field but you are gonna feel his pads if you are on the other side of it.”

Sacred-Heart Griffin (13-0) is a powerhouse that averages 58 points while allowing more than 16 just twice. Longtime coach Ken Leonard, the winningest coach in state history, has led SHG to five state championships and four second-place finishes.

Class 3A: IC Catholic vs. Williamsville, 4 p.m., Friday

IC Catholic is a familiar face in the state finals after winning Class 3A titles in 2016 and 2017 and the Class 4A title in 2018. The Knights only loss this season was a one-point defeat to Joliet Catholic and they are the favorites against Williamsville (12-1), a school 14 miles north of Springfield.

KJ Parker and Denzell Gibson are dynamic threats on both sides of the ball for IC Catholic. They’ve combined for 37 touchdowns. Parker has 33 receptions for 996 yards and Gibson is averaging 9.6 yards a carry.

“[Gibson] can do everything,” IC Catholic coach Bill Kreft said. “He’s one of the best athletes to come through IC and can jump from running back to receiver.

“We get Parker as many touches as we can. He could be our whole offense, he’s that explosive. He’s selfless and blocks his butt off on the edge.”

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DeMar DeRozan is never going to be mistaken for a defensive stopper.

Even in his younger days, there were very few instances where a coach would turn to the small forward and tell him, “Go ahead and lock ’em down.”

What DeRozan is, however, is crafty.

Milwaukee found that out on Wednesday, as DeRozan drew two huge offensive fouls against Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and then just to make sure that the Bucks knew that he wasn’t playing on that end of the floor, the smaller DeRozan offered up a block on Brook Lopez … all 7-foot-1 of him.

So while 18 points by the Bulls veteran in that third quarter was just another masterpiece to add to the collection, the dirty work DeRozan did on the defensive end will be the difference between this team being a pretender or contender come the spring.

“We’ve had some down moments,” DeRozan told reporters after the win. “Dropping games we felt we should’ve won … close games. Getting our butt whooped at home. We went through so many emotions already just 20 games in a season. Sometimes, that’s beneficial. You gotta soak in that hurt and generate that over to being competitors. And I think that’s where we’re at right now.”

Where they’re also at is responding to the challenge that coach Billy Donovan unapologetically dropped at the feet of his three veteran leaders.

In the wake of an embarrassing home loss to Orlando last week, it was Donovan who called out DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine, challenging them to not only improve their defense, but start and finish games with energy and urgency.

Message heard.

At least so far, as the Bulls have now put together back-to-back wins against the Eastern Conference’s elite in Boston and Milwaukee.

“Losing the games we lost, we’ve been holding each other accountable,” DeRozan said. “Everybody has been speaking up in film sessions, practice. We’ve been on each other. We’ve been picking it up. I think we’re showing how bad we want it instead of just talking about it. That’s just a testament to guys wanting to compete.”

And that’s been on display on the defensive end, with the Bulls suddenly making life much more difficult for opposing teams.

The Bulls turned the Celtics over 15 times, and then turned up the defensive heat another notch against Milwaukee, turning them over 19 times, but also registering 12 blocks. They even made life difficult for the division rivals at the three-point line, keeping Milwaukee in check with a 12-for-38 (31.6%) night.

“This is proof that we can beat anyone and play with anyone in the league,” guard Coby White said. “It’s upon ourselves to be locked in ready to play.”

That will be tested.

Last season, the No. 1 knock on the Bulls was they handled all the teams they were supposed to beat, but against the elite rosters they not only lost, but bowed down and lost badly. This season, they are suddenly taking big swings at the better teams – already beating Miami, Boston twice and now the Bucks – but have low-energy moments against the likes of the Magic and Spurs.

The stop in Milwaukee was the first in a six-game road trip that will see the Bulls travel to Oklahoma City, Utah, Phoenix, Golden State and Sacramento.

The hope is that the defense that’s been on display the last two games also makes the trip.

“We have to have the same mindset each and every game,” LaVine said. “Hopefully we can start taking these wins and stacking it up.”

Read More

DeMar DeRozan is never going to be mistaken for a defensive stopper.

Even in his younger days, there were very few instances where a coach would turn to the small forward and tell him, “Go ahead and lock ’em down.”

What DeRozan is, however, is crafty.

Milwaukee found that out on Wednesday, as DeRozan drew two huge offensive fouls against Bobby Portis and Giannis Antetokounmpo, and then just to make sure that the Bucks knew that he wasn’t playing on that end of the floor, the smaller DeRozan offered up a block on Brook Lopez … all 7-foot-1 of him.

So while 18 points by the Bulls veteran in that third quarter was just another masterpiece to add to the collection, the dirty work DeRozan did on the defensive end will be the difference between this team being a pretender or contender come the spring.

“We’ve had some down moments,” DeRozan told reporters after the win. “Dropping games we felt we should’ve won … close games. Getting our butt whooped at home. We went through so many emotions already just 20 games in a season. Sometimes, that’s beneficial. You gotta soak in that hurt and generate that over to being competitors. And I think that’s where we’re at right now.”

Where they’re also at is responding to the challenge that coach Billy Donovan unapologetically dropped at the feet of his three veteran leaders.

In the wake of an embarrassing home loss to Orlando last week, it was Donovan who called out DeRozan, Nikola Vucevic, and Zach LaVine, challenging them to not only improve their defense, but start and finish games with energy and urgency.

Message heard.

At least so far, as the Bulls have now put together back-to-back wins against the Eastern Conference’s elite in Boston and Milwaukee.

“Losing the games we lost, we’ve been holding each other accountable,” DeRozan said. “Everybody has been speaking up in film sessions, practice. We’ve been on each other. We’ve been picking it up. I think we’re showing how bad we want it instead of just talking about it. That’s just a testament to guys wanting to compete.”

And that’s been on display on the defensive end, with the Bulls suddenly making life much more difficult for opposing teams.

The Bulls turned the Celtics over 15 times, and then turned up the defensive heat another notch against Milwaukee, turning them over 19 times, but also registering 12 blocks. They even made life difficult for the division rivals at the three-point line, keeping Milwaukee in check with a 12-for-38 (31.6%) night.

“This is proof that we can beat anyone and play with anyone in the league,” guard Coby White said. “It’s upon ourselves to be locked in ready to play.”

That will be tested.

Last season, the No. 1 knock on the Bulls was they handled all the teams they were supposed to beat, but against the elite rosters they not only lost, but bowed down and lost badly. This season, they are suddenly taking big swings at the better teams – already beating Miami, Boston twice and now the Bucks – but have low-energy moments against the likes of the Magic and Spurs.

The stop in Milwaukee was the first in a six-game road trip that will see the Bulls travel to Oklahoma City, Utah, Phoenix, Golden State and Sacramento.

The hope is that the defense that’s been on display the last two games also makes the trip.

“We have to have the same mindset each and every game,” LaVine said. “Hopefully we can start taking these wins and stacking it up.”

Read More

The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ game Sunday at the 6-4 Jets:

RICK MORRISSEY

Jets, 24-17

Bears fans probably aren’t too worried about Jets quarterback Mike White, who is starting in place of the benched Zach Wilson. But they should be worried about the Bears’ defense, which can’t stop anybody. The Jets have a good defense, no matter which quarterback it faces Sunday. The 2023 High Draft Pick Pursuit keeps purring along for the Monsters of the Midway.Season: 7-4.

RICK TELANDER

Jets, 18-14

Ain’t it funny how a coach can go from genius to idiot in a week? Run that great Justin Fields more! Stop running him so much! Welcome to NFL leadership, Matt Eberflus. The Bears might as well go 3-14, hibernate until the draft. Season: 5-6.

LAURENCE HOLMES

Jets, 6-5

I’m on a personal losing streak with these picks, so I’m going to switch it up. The Jets defense is really good, and no matter who’s playing quarterback for the Bears they’re going to have a rough time. Season: 5-6.

PATRICK FINLEY

Jets, 22-7

Take out games against the Patriots — who traditionally own Gang Green — and the Jets haven’t lost a contest since Sept. 25. During that span, they’ve beaten the AFC favorite Bills and the playoff-bound Dolphins. Season: 6-5.

JASON LIESER

Jets, 20-13

The Jets are just OK, but “just OK” opponents have typically been out of the Bears’ league this season. With or without Fields, they’re not winning this game. Season: 5-6.

MARK POTASH

Jets, 20-17

The Bears will be in a tough spot with either a banged-up Fields or Trevor Siemian making his first start in a year. The Jets also have quarterback issues, but could play better for White than they did for Zach Wilson. Season: 6-5.

Read More

The Sun-Times’ experts offer their picks for the Bears’ game Sunday at the 6-4 Jets:

RICK MORRISSEY

Jets, 24-17

Bears fans probably aren’t too worried about Jets quarterback Mike White, who is starting in place of the benched Zach Wilson. But they should be worried about the Bears’ defense, which can’t stop anybody. The Jets have a good defense, no matter which quarterback it faces Sunday. The 2023 High Draft Pick Pursuit keeps purring along for the Monsters of the Midway.Season: 7-4.

RICK TELANDER

Jets, 18-14

Ain’t it funny how a coach can go from genius to idiot in a week? Run that great Justin Fields more! Stop running him so much! Welcome to NFL leadership, Matt Eberflus. The Bears might as well go 3-14, hibernate until the draft. Season: 5-6.

LAURENCE HOLMES

Jets, 6-5

I’m on a personal losing streak with these picks, so I’m going to switch it up. The Jets defense is really good, and no matter who’s playing quarterback for the Bears they’re going to have a rough time. Season: 5-6.

PATRICK FINLEY

Jets, 22-7

Take out games against the Patriots — who traditionally own Gang Green — and the Jets haven’t lost a contest since Sept. 25. During that span, they’ve beaten the AFC favorite Bills and the playoff-bound Dolphins. Season: 6-5.

JASON LIESER

Jets, 20-13

The Jets are just OK, but “just OK” opponents have typically been out of the Bears’ league this season. With or without Fields, they’re not winning this game. Season: 5-6.

MARK POTASH

Jets, 20-17

The Bears will be in a tough spot with either a banged-up Fields or Trevor Siemian making his first start in a year. The Jets also have quarterback issues, but could play better for White than they did for Zach Wilson. Season: 6-5.

Read More

DALLAS — The Blackhawks have produced their fair share of meltdowns in recent seasons, but Wednesday’s collapse against the Stars might have been their worst yet.

The Hawks allowed five goals over the game’s final 10 minutes in a 6-4 regulation loss, throwing away everything on a night that appeared — midway through the third period — on track to be one of their best performances of the season.

“That’s a game that we have to find a way to close out,” Max Domi said bluntly. “You’ve got to find a way to win that one. We were in complete control. Just a couple plays, couple bounces here, and it’s on us to close that one out. We had no business losing that game.”

Domi gave the Hawks a 4-1 lead with 10:23 left thanks to a spectacular diving poke at a rebound, seemingly adding insurance after a stellar second period in which the Hawks scored three times and thoroughly controlled play.

But then the wheels completely fell off. Jamie Benn scored a power-play goal with 9:45 left, then Mason Marchment and Ty Dellandrea found the net twice in 14 seconds to tie the game with 5:48 left.

Radek Faksa scored the game-winning goal with an innocent bank-in off Hawks goalie Petr Mrazek with 1:33 left; it wasn’t initially called a goal, but the puck obviously crossed the line on replay. Jason Robertson added an empty-netter in the waning seconds.

Hawks coach Luke Richardson, whose team has now lost five straight games and 11 of their last 13 overall, said he didn’t consider calling a timeout to slow the Stars’ momentum.

“We didn’t have our work ethic and we sat back a little bit — not [exactly] trying to preserve it, but they were coming hard and we just didn’t handle it well,” Richardson said. “On every goal, it was something different… Unfortunately, I thought the guys worked really hard for 40 or 50 minutes. But the game is 60 minutes, so that’s just a tough lesson to learn.”

Added Domi: “You knew they were going to have their push in the third, and you have to give them credit. But when that happens, you have to find a way to weather the storm, tighten it up a little bit, find ways to stand in front of pucks and get pucks out. [If we] just play simple hockey the last 10 minutes, we win that game. It’s a tough one.”

Defenseman Seth Jones played 21:13 and scored his first goal of the season in his return from his thumb injury. He said he felt decent but made some “boneheaded plays.”

Forward Sam Lafferty missed the third period with an injury, contributing to the Hawks’ fatigue when trying to defend an onslaught of chances — the Stars outshot the Hawks 21-5 in the final frame alone. Richardson said Lafferty was “sore” and will be reevaluated Thursday before the Hawks’ home matinee Friday against the Canadiens.

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WASHINGTON, ILL-St. Rita junior Morez Johnson, an Illinois recruit, threw down a devastating turnaround dunk midway through the third quarter on Wednesday against Joliet West. It put the Mustangs up by 10 points, crushed the spirits of the Tigers’ student section and seemed to suck the life out of a gym full of neutrals hoping for an exciting, close finish.

The Mustangs led by 14 early in the fourth quarter and seemed to be putting the finishing touches on a victory against a Joliet West team that was just too small to match up with the 6-9 Johnson, 6-10 James Brown and 6-6 Nojus Indrusaitis (the three top juniors in the state). St. Rita pulled down an astonishing 31 rebounds in just the first half.

That would have been the end of it against most teams. But Michigan State recruit Jeremy Fears Jr. transferred home to Joliet this season and everything has changed.

Fears’ confidence, calm and ability spearheaded a Joliet West comeback led by defense and free-throw shooting. The Tigers forced key turnovers and made 19 consecutive free throws in the fourth quarter to beat St. Rita 64-56 at the Kevin Brown Memorial Tournament of Champions.

“[Joliet West coach Jeremy Kreiger] told us if we can get it under ten with five minutes left that we are gonna win the game,” Fears said. “He asked everybody on the bench down the line, ‘Do you believe we can win the game?’

“We looked him in his face and said yes and did what we needed to do one possession at a time to get the win.”

Fears’ experience at La Lumiere the last two seasons and with USA basketball gives him a rare, Jalen Brunson-esque confidence.

“[Fears] moniker is ‘The Floor General,'” Kreiger said. “And that’s his job. He’s an extension of us as a coaching staff. When they see that he believes we all believe. We knew it was going to be a battle because of the inside force that they have but our four guards are going to be the difference in this season.”

Fears finished with 18 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals. His brother, sophomore Jeremiah Fears, added 17 points, eight rebounds and four steals. Junior Justus McNair contributed 17 points. The Tigers were 25 for 27 from the free-throw line.

“We let them control most of the game and play at their pace,” Fears said. “But then we started to speed them up and we got a few turnovers and few buckets and the momentum was on our side.”

Joliet West (2-0) didn’t allow St. Rita (0-1) to score a bucket for the final 4:13 of the game.

The Tigers were outrebounded 31-14 in the first half but the boards were an even 18-18 in the second half. Joliet West bigs Matthew Moore and Drew King blocked shots and made St. Rita’s talented juniors work for everything and 6-3 Jayden Martin kept a body on Brown whenever possible.

“We knew that everything was on their side and we couldn’t let our heads drop,” Moore said. “We had to keep fighting. After we got it down to nine points I knew we were going to win.”

Johnson led St. Rita with 14 points and 14 rebounds. Brown added 13 points and 13 rebounds and Nojus Indrusaitis finished with 14 points and nine rebounds.

“The first game I’ve seen for every team I’ve watched has been sloppy,” Mustangs coach Roshawn Russell said. “It’s early in the season and we will learn from this.”

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