What’s New

A person was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon on the Northwest Side.

The male, whose age was unknown, was at the gas station about 4:30 p.m. in the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue when he was struck in the back by gunfire, police said.

A person was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon at a Marathon gas station in South Austin on the Northwest Side.

About 4:30 p.m., the male, whose age was unknown, was at the gas station in the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue when he was struck in the back by gunfire, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died to his injuries, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet.

No one was in custody.

Sixty-four people have been killed in Austin so far this year — eight less than what the community had for all of last year, according to Sun-Times data.

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A man was shot to death Tuesday evening in West Garfield Park. | Sun-Times file photo

The man, 21, was near the sidewalk in the 4000 block of West Madison Street about 5:10 p.m. when he was struck by gunfire, police said.

A man was shot to death Tuesday evening in West Garfield Park on the West Side.

The man, 21, was near the sidewalk in the 4000 block of West Madison Street about 5:10 p.m. when he was struck multiple times in his body by gunfire, Chicago police said.

He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet.

No one was in custody.

Thirty-four people have been killed in West Garfield Park so far this year — three less than what the community had all of last year, according to Sun-Times data.

Less than three miles northwest, a person was fatally shot at a Marathon gas station in South Austin.

About 40 minutes earlier, the male, whose age was unknown, was at the gas station in the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue when he was struck in the back by gunfire, police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said.

He was also taken to Mt. Sinai, where he died to his injuries, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet.

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The Milwaukee Bucks listed Giannis Antetokounmpo as out for Wednesday’s game against the Indiana Pacers after being placed into the NBA’s Health and Safety Protocols Tuesday night.

Antetokounmpo went into the protocols a day after scoring 20 points in 34 minutes in Monday night’s 117-103 loss to the Celtics in Boston. Bucks guard Wesley Matthews has also been in the protocols the past two games.

Milwaukee listed five players as out for Wednesday’s game: Antetokounmpo, Matthews, DeMarcus Cousins (personal reasons), Brook Lopez (back surgery) and Semi Ojeleye (calf strain).

To clear, a player must either be out for a minimum of 10 days, or return two negative PCR tests at least 24 hours apart. Tuesday’s news now leaves Antetokounmpo’s status for Milwaukee’s rematch with Boston on Christmas Day in doubt.

In one positive piece of news for the Bucks, All-Star Khris Middleton was only listed as questionable for Wednesday after positive results from imaging done on his hyperextended left knee that he suffered during Monday’s loss.

2 Related

The injury occurred when Middleton collided with teammate Rodney Hood as the two of them went after a defensive rebound late in the third quarter, and his leg buckled awkwardly. After he winced and stayed on the ground for a moment, Middleton got up and limped to the other end of the court for Milwaukee’s ensuing offensive possession.

As soon as it was over, however, the Bucks committed a foul, and Middleton walked straight off the court and into the locker room.

It turned out, however, that Milwaukee’s positive thoughts after the game about Middleton’s status — including comments from coach Mike Budenholzer, Antetokounmpo and Jrue Holiday, as well as Middleton being seen leaving the locker room under his own power — proved true, and he should miss little time, if any.

“We’ll know more tomorrow, but I think there’s some hope that it’s not serious,” Budenholzer said Monday. “But you’ve got to weigh it and give it time.”

The Bucks will now have to do the same with regard to its superstar for the next several games. Milwaukee has six games over an 11-day span beginning with Wednesday’s game against the Pacers. That one is followed by a road game in New Orleans, home games against Cleveland and Houston, a road game in Dallas and then the Christmas Day showdown with Boston at home.

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NEW YORK — Stephen Curry is the new 3-point king of the NBA.

The Golden State Warriors star guard became the all-time leader in 3-pointers Tuesday night against the Knicks, passing Hall of Famer Ray Allen by knocking down the 2,974th 3-pointer of his career.

The record-breaking shot came with 7 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first quarter as Curry knocked down a 28-foot shot from the right wing off a pass from Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors quickly fouled and called a time out so that Curry could enjoy the moment.

Curry received a big hug from teammate Draymond Green as players streamed to the floor to congratulate him. He took the ball that he was clutching in his arm and handed it to his father, Dell, on the floor as the Madison Square Garden crowd gave him a rousing standing ovation. Curry went back toward center court a few moments later to get a hug and congratulations from Allen.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver congratulated Curry in a statement released during Tuesday night’s game.

“It was thrilling to see Steph break the NBA’s all-time record for three-pointers,” Silver said in his statement. “He has revolutionized the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability. We congratulate him on this historic achievement.”

Curry has tried to deflect talk of the impending record over the past couple of weeks, acknowledging how much the mark means to him. Those close to him say they understand and take pride in the greatness he has achieved.

“I can’t explain it,” Dell Curry recently told ESPN. “And I played with and against Ray, played against Reggie [Miller], I know how great shooters those guys were, but to know my son’s going to leave the game being the best — he already is the best shooter ever to play, and have that record, it’s unbelievable.”

Both Allen and Miller, who were broadcasting the game for Turner Sports, attended Curry’s record-breaking performance Tuesday night. The trio shared a few words and a group hug before the game, enjoying the excitement surrounding the inevitable historical moment.

“I think people have compared him to myself and to Reggie and to other past shooters, great shooters in the NBA, but he really operates somewhat in a lane of his own,” Allen recently said during a conference call with Warriors beat reporters.

Warriors coach Steve Kerr said earlier this season that Curry is the most “joyful” player he has ever been around. While Curry’s talent has helped carry the Warriors to three NBA championships, it’s his presence and leadership behind the scenes that teammates and coaches respect as much as anything else he does.

“What he’s done has just completely redefined what’s a good shot,” Kerr said. “Redefined the point guard position, in terms of what’s expected. You can see a whole generation of young players who are playing the game the way Steph does, with shooting range and handle, all kinds of skill and joy. It’s amazing how much he’s impacted the game both strategically and artistically.”

Curry, 33, is an early favorite to win his third career MVP award this season. He has made a 3-pointer in 152 consecutive games, a streak that started on Dec. 1, 2018. That streak is second only to his stretch of 157 games with at least one 3-pointer from Nov., 13, 2014 to Nov. 3, 2016.

Both Curry and Kerr said after Monday’s 102-100 win over the Indiana Pacers that there would be a sense of “relief” when Curry eventually broke Allen’s record, but as much as Curry has tried to enjoy the moment, he knew the weight of the record would eventually cause him to get emotional about his latest career achievement.

“I’ll talk about it when it happens,” Curry said last week, when asked what it would mean. “You’re going to make me cry up here, bro.”

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In this screen grab from video, Brooklyn Center police Commander Garett Flesland testifies as Hennepin County Judge Regina Chu presides over court Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, in the trial of former Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter in the April 11, 2021, death of Daunte Wright, at the Hennepin County Courthouse in Minneapolis, Minn. | AP

Kim Potter, who resigned two days after she shot Daunte Wright, was trained on policies as they evolved during her 26-year career and repeatedly signed documents acknowledging the policies, Brooklyn Center Police Commander Garett Flesland testified.

MINNEAPOLIS — The suburban Minneapolis police officer who shot and killed Daunte Wright with her gun when she said she meant to use her Taser was fully trained in her department’s policies on the proper use of force, including the stun guns, a police commander testified Tuesday.

Kim Potter, who resigned two days after she shot Wright, was trained on policies as they evolved during her 26-year career and repeatedly signed documents acknowledging the policies, Brooklyn Center Police Commander Garett Flesland testified.

Potter, 49, is charged with manslaughter in Wright’s death on April 11 after he was pulled over for having expired license plate tags and an air freshener dangling from his rear-view mirror. Video captured the moments when Wright pulled away from officers who were trying to arrest him on an outstanding warrant, with Potter shouting “I’ll tase you!” and then shooting Wright with her handgun.

Potter is white and Wright was Black, and his death set off several nights of angry protests in Brooklyn Center. It happened while a white former officer, Derek Chauvin, was on trial in nearby Minneapolis in George Floyd’s death.

The defense has called the shooting a horrific mistake, but has also asserted that Potter would have been within her rights to use deadly force on Wright because he might have dragged another officer, then-Sgt. Mychal Johnson, with his car.

Prosecutors introduced several documents Tuesday that Flesland testified showed Potter’s repeated certifications on Taser training, and her awareness of the warnings for their use — including a certification the month before Wright was shot.

On cross-examination, Potter attorney Earl Gray hammered away at her right to use force. He repeatedly described the situation as one in which Potter was trying to stop a wanted person who was trying to flee from the police and who could have put a fellow officer at risk of being dragged by a car.

“You’ve got to save that officer that’s laying over the seat, correct?” Gray asked.

“Yes,” Flesland said.

Later, when Gray asked Flesland what he thought of Potter, he said: “She’s a good cop. She’s a good person. She’s a friend. I have no concerns going to calls with her.” Prosecutors objected.

Flesland also testified that he and the police chief at the time had gone to Potter’s house the day of Wright’s shooting because “we had been told she had hurt herself.” That line of questioning was cut off after prosecutors objected.

Sgt. Mike Peterson, a use-of-force instructor with the department and certified Taser instructor, showed the jury how officers are supposed to run a “spark test” at the beginning of every shift to check whether their Tasers are working. He did so with his own device, which generated a loud buzz for five seconds as electricity arced across the electrodes.

Sam McGinnis, a senior special agent with the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, testified Monday that Potter failed to run the test on her Taser on the day she shot Wright.

Peterson also walked the jury through the Brooklyn Center department’s training procedures for using Tasers as prosecutor Matthew Frank showed them pages from the manufacturer’s and the department’s training materials that warn against the dangers of mixing up a Taser and a handgun. Frank also highlighted portions that say a Taser should not be used simply to stop fleeing suspects or on suspects who are operating vehicles.

Earlier Tuesday, Judge Regina Chu denied two motions filed by prosecutors. One was designed to limit the opinion of witnesses who are not testifying as experts. That came after Johnson, who is now a major in a sheriff’s office near Minneapolis, testified last week that Potter’s actions were authorized under state law. Johnson was not testifying as an expert on the police use of force.

“I’m not going to preclude any of the officers from testifying that, based upon their training and experience, that deadly force or use of Taser was appropriate under the circumstances,” Chu said.

She also denied prosecutors’ request to question police officers about union membership. They argued that Potter had roles in the union, including as president, that gave her an elevated level of respect among her coworkers. They wanted to ask officers about it so that jurors could evaluate any potential bias toward Potter.

Chu said she rejected the motion because Potter is no longer connected to the police union in any way and testifying witnesses “couldn’t possibly be biased to testify in her favor because of her position.”

Chu also ruled Tuesday that if Potter is convicted of one or both of the counts against her, she would preside over a separate trial to determine if there were aggravating factors that would allow Chu to give Potter a sentence above what the state’s guidelines suggest.

Prosecutors had been operating under the impression that these issues would be presented during this trial, but without the jury present, Gray said Potter had never agreed to that.

In order for Potter to be sentenced above what the guidelines suggest, prosecutors would have to prove there were aggravating factors; prosecutors allege that Potter’s conduct caused a danger to others and that she abused her position of authority.

Prosecutors presented evidence of these aggravating factors when they brought in testimony about injuries to Wright’s passenger and an occupant of the car that collided with Wright’s right after Potter shot him. Chu said Tuesday that this testimony was not prejudicial and could remain part of this case because evidence about the crash also relates to whether Potter’s use of force was reasonable.

Prosecutors on Monday put the differences between her handgun and her Taser on display for jurors, seeking to raise questions about how an experienced officer could confuse the weapons.

McGinnis highlighted the differences in the way they were holstered on Potter’s duty belt. He also noted the handgun’s weight — at about 2 pounds, more than twice that of the Taser — as well as differences in triggers, grips and safety mechanisms.

McGinnis also testified that the Taser has a laser and LED lights that display before it is fired, which he demonstrated for the jury, while the handgun does not, he said.

The case is being heard by a mostly white jury.

State sentencing guidelines call for just over seven years in prison upon conviction of first-degree manslaughter and four years for second-degree, though prosecutors have said they plan to push for longer sentences.

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Leo’s Keeland Jordan (21) controls the ball against Curie’s Jeremy Harrington (24) and Carlos Harris (2). | Kirsten Stickney/For the Sun-Times

All the scores from around the area.

Please send scores and corrections to [email protected].

Tuesday, December 14, 2021

CATHOLIC – CROSSOVER

Marmion at Fenwick, 7:00

INTERSTATE EIGHT

Sycamore at LaSalle-Peru, 7:00

LAKE SHORE ATHLETIC

Beacon at Wolcott, 6:00

METRO PREP

Chesterton Holy Family at Lycee Francais, 6:30

NOBLE LEAGUE – GOLD

Bulls at DRW, 7:00

Johnson at Comer, 7:00

Rowe-Clark at Butler, 7:00

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETIC

Alden-Hebron at Christian Life, 7:30

Schaumburg Christian at Mooseheart, 7:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE RED-SOUTH / CENTRAL

Curie at Phillips, 6:00

Hyde Park at Corliss, 5:00

Kenwood at Brooks, 5:00

Longwood at Bogan, 5:00

Simeon at Morgan Park, 6:30

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-CENTRAL

Dunbar at Hubbard, 5:00

Kennedy at Catalyst-Maria, 5:00

Lindblom at King, 5:00

Richards (Chgo) at Urban Prep-Englewood, 5:00

Tilden at Solorio, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE WHITE-SOUTH

Agricultural Science at South Shore, 5:00

Carver at Vocational, PPD

Fenger at Dyett, 5:00

Harlan at Perspectives-Lead, 5:00

Urban Prep-Bronzeville at ACE Amandla. 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-CENTRAL

ACERO-Garcia at DuSable, 5:00

ACERO-Soto at Englewood STEM, 5:00

Excel-Englewood at Back of the Yards, 5:00

Hancock at Horizon-Southwest, 5:00

Instituto Health at Kelly, 5:00

PUBLIC LEAGUE BLUE-SOUTH

Bowen at Air Force, 5:00

Chicago Military at Hirsch, 5:00

EPIC at Goode, 5:00

Excel-South Shore at Julian, 5:00

UC-Woodlawn at Washington, 5:00

RIVER VALLEY

Grace Christian at Tri-Point, 7:00

SOUTH SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Argo at Tinley Park, 6:30

Evergreen Park at Bremen, 6:00

Hillcrest at Eisenhower, 6:30

Lemont at Reavis, 6:00

Oak Forest at Richards, 6:30

Oak Lawn at Thornton Fr. South, PPD

Shepard at Thornton Fr. North, PPD

SOUTHWEST PRAIRIE – EAST

Romeoville at Joliet Central, 6:30

SOUTHWEST SUBURBAN – CROSSOVER

Bolingbrook at Bradley-Bourbonnais, 7:00

Lincoln-Way East at Andrew, 6:30

UPSTATE EIGHT

Bartlett at Elgin, 7:00

Glenbard South at South Elgin, 7:00

Larkin at Fenton, 7:00

Streamwood at East Aurora, 6:30

West Chicago at Glenbard East, 7:00

WEST SUBURBAN – SILVER

Hinsdale Central at Oak Park-River Forest, 6:30

NON CONFERENCE

Annawan at Henry-Senachwine, PPD

Aurora Central at Wheaton Academy, 7:30

Beecher at Joliet Catholic, 7:00

Bloom at Joliet West, 6:30

Butler at Thornwood, 6:30

DePue at Lowpoint-Washburn, 7:00

Don Bosco (IN) at De La Salle, 6:00

East Dubuque at South Beloit, 7:30

Gardner-So. Wilmington at Seneca, 7:00

Herscher at Momence, 7:00

Hoffman Estates at Maine East, 7:30

Illinois Lutheran at Peotone, 7:00

Jones at Stagg, PPD

Lisle at Indian Creek, 6:45

Lockport at Oswego, 6:30

Manteno at Morris, 7:00

Marist at St. Rita, 7:15

Metea Valley at Waukegan, 7:00

Morris at Coal City, 6:45

Nazareth at St. Ignatius, 6:00

Noble Street at ITW-Speer, 7:30

Peoria Heights at Roanoke-Benson, 7:00

Phoenix at Crane, 5:00

Princeville at Midland, 7:30

Putnam County at Somonauk, 7:00

Rockford Lutheran at Waubonsie Valley, 7:00

St. Edward at IC Catholic, 7:30

Stillman Valley at Mendota, 7:00

University High at Leo, 7:00

Warren at Fremd, 7:00

Westlake Christian at Grayslake Central, 7:00

Westminster Christian at Keith, 7:00

Westmont at Islamic Foundation, 6:30

Wheeling at Ridgewood, 6:30

Woodland at LaMoille, 7:00

Woodstock North at Vernon Hills, 7:00

York at Hinsdale South, 7:30

Yorkville Christian at Oswego East, 6:30

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A person was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon on the Northwest Side.

The male, whose age was unknown, was near a store about 4:30 p.m. in the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue when he was struck in the back by gunfire, police said.

A person was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon near a store in South Austin on the Northwest Side.

About 4:30 p.m., the male, whose age was unknown, was near a store in the 5300 block of West Chicago Avenue when he was struck in the back by gunfire, police said.

He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he died to his injuries, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet.

No one was in custody.

Sixty-four people have been killed in Austin so far this year — eight less than what the community had for all of last year, according to Sun-Times data.

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Lombardi after scoring a touchdown in the MAC championship game. | Photo by Mike Mulholland/Getty Images

Lombardi isn’t a superstar with gaudy stats, but he’s a football grinder from a family of them who has found an ideal fit with the Huskies.

Let’s just say not all of quarterback Rocky Lombardi’s performances over three seasons at Michigan State were knockouts. Hey, it happens.

But give the guy credit for getting onto the field in 22 games — nine of them starts — with the Spartans. Sometimes he was really good, like when he lit up rival Michigan for 323 yards and three touchdowns in a Halloween upset in 2020. Sometimes he was not-so-good, like one week later when he threw three picks in a 42-point loss to Iowa. Nobody’s perfect, not even the now-23-year-old with arguably the greatest sports name on the planet.

“I feel like sometimes at Michigan State, I took football too seriously,” he said. “It was like going to work every day, and it was my own [fault].”

So what did he do about it? Like a champ, he picked himself up off the canvas — having been literally knocked out on his final Spartans snap, against Ohio State — and decided to seek a change for the better. Northern Illinois, anyone? That’s where Lombardi transferred to play his final two seasons.

“It’s been really good for my mental health,” he said.

And like a certain iconic football coach, he embraced that winning isn’t everything; it’s the only thing. Except this Lombardi leaves out the second part. Winning is important to him, but how he leads his new team, how he loves the game and how much fun he has playing it each matters more.

And how’s that going for him? Suffice it to say, the Huskies — winless without Lombardi in 2020 — are 9-4 and in Orlando, Florida, preparing to face Coastal Carolina on Friday in the Cure Bowl.

“It’s a blessing,” said Lombardi. “I’ve been very fortunate to find a home like this.”

Meanwhile, the truth is all this stuff about his name is silly. He’s neither related to Vince Lombardi nor named for Rocky Balboa. His father, Tony, was a running back who rooted for the Steelers’ Rocky Bleier. Tony played at Arizona State after attending Rich East, where his coach was Bob Lombardi — Rocky’s grandfather — who also coached at the University of Chicago. Beau, Rocky’s little brother, is a lineman at Army.

NIU’s QB isn’t a superstar with gaudy stats; he’s a football grinder from a family of them who has found an ideal team fit. Lombardi and the Huskies are double-digit underdogs against Coastal Carolina. The 10-2 Chanticleers are led by Grayson McCall, who ranks second in the nation in passing efficiency, is part of the Heisman Trophy chatter for 2022 and is on a path to the NFL.

“Of course,” Lombardi said, “being the underdog means there’s no pressure.”

No pressure, and sometimes no respect. After Illinois beat Northwestern 47-14 in the season finale for those sub-.500 teams, the Illini’s football Twitter account posted, “This is our state.” Lombardi quote-tweeted the post with a line from the movie “Talladega Nights”:

“Will all due respect, and remember I’m saying with all due respect, that idea ain’t worth a velvet painting of a whale and a dolphin getting it on.”

Funny, right?

But seriously: Whose state is it?

“I’d like to think it’s the Huskies’,” Lombardi said. “We have a young team and we’re improving every week. We’ve proven we could hang with some bigger schools and beat some bigger schools. If we played [Illinois or Northwestern], it would be an interesting matchup. I think we’d be OK.”

At the very least, they’d have a puncher’s chance.

JUST SAYIN’

If Lombardi is Rocky, does that make McCall Apollo Creed, “Clubber” Lang or Ivan Drago?

And is there any chance the 21-year-old would have a clue what we were talking about if we asked him that question?

o Coastal 34, NIU 20. I’d love to pick the Huskies, but the Chanticleers are outstanding.

In a related development, my research department has uncovered, after an exhaustive deep-dive into the facts, that a chanticleer is a rooster. Look, google it for yourselves if you don’t believe me.

o My latest college basketball AP Top 25 ballot: 1. Baylor, 2. Purdue, 3. Duke, 4. Arizona, 5. Kansas, 6. Alabama, 7. Gonzaga, 8. UCLA, 9. Iowa State, 10. Kentucky, 11. Houston, 12. USC, 13. Auburn, 14. Xavier, 15. Colorado State, 16. Seton Hall, 17. Michigan State, 18. Oklahoma, 19. Villanova, 20. Texas, 21. Arkansas, 22. Ohio State, 23. Wisconsin, 24. Texas Tech, 25. LSU.

o It looks like Porter Moser and Oklahoma are ready for the school’s coming jump from the Big 12 to the SEC. Already this season, the surprising Sooners have upset then-No. 14 Florida and then-No. 10 Arkansas. It was an 88-66 rout of the Razorbacks on Saturday, with five Sooners scoring in double figures and Moser’s team in full control at both ends. Sound familiar?

o The Bulls’ messed-up roster vs. the Bears’ messed-up playbook:

Discuss.

o OK, hear me out: Maybe the Bears can hire a soccer coach from England who knows nothing about American football but is trying to give his wife some space, comes with a lovable assistant coach, bakes daily treats for his boss and … never mind, it’s a ridiculous premise.

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The Blackhawks hope they’ll be able to generate more second chances by getting more shots on goal. | AP Photos

Only 51.9% of the Hawks even-strength shot attempts have made it on goal, the lowest rate in the NHL. But they showed improvement Saturday.

The Blackhawks have attempted 1,139 shots at even strength so far this season.

Only 591 of those shot attempts have successfully made it on goal, either going in the net or forcing a save. And that on-goal percentage — 51.9% — is the lowest in the NHL.

Meanwhile, the Hawks have — on several occasions this season — used the phrase “one and done” to describe their offensive struggles. Alex DeBrincat did so after practice Monday; interim coach Derek King did so after practice Tuesday.

The problem that statistic suggests, and the problem to which that phrase refers, are arguably the same thing. At the least, they’re strongly interconnected.

Shots on goal ideally go in the goal, but even if they don’t, they typically create rebounds or second opportunities, force defenders to make split-section decisions or create offensive-zone faceoffs. Blocked and missed shots far more frequently ricochet across the blue line and out of the zone, or stay in but allow the defending team to gain possession and exit the zone themselves.

“A lot of this year we’ve pretty much been ‘one and done’ in their zone — we get a chance and then we have to play [in the] ‘D’-zone again,” DeBrincat said.

“We’ve got to put pucks on the net, which causes chaos, and then you can make all those cute plays,” King said.

King attributed the Hawks’ difficulty getting shots on goal to players missing the net too much, but the data indicates that’s not the true culprit. They actually have the ninth-lowest missed shot rate at even strength (19.3%) and second-lowest missed shot rate on the power play (15.9%).

Instead, the Hawks keep getting blocked. Whether it’s because they’re taking shots when tightly covered, being too predictable with puck movement or not keeping shooting lanes free of defensemen, their blocked shot percentage is the highest in the league at even strength (28.8%) and sixth-highest on the power play (25.1%).

But there are a couple reasons to believe the Hawks can improve in that regard.

First, their two practice days Monday and Tuesday afforded the much-needed time to “work on some offensive stuff — [having] some net-front presence, getting shots through, supporting each other, changing sides, [passing] low to high, all those little things,” King said.

The lines from practice — with Dylan Strome on the first line and Brett Connolly on the second — also potentially indicate a more offense-oriented game plan for Wednesday’s matchup against the Capitals.

Second, they already showed signs of progress in their most recent game, Saturday’s 5-4 loss to the Maple Leafs.

They not only scored four even-strength goals, tied for their most this season, but also recorded 30 even-strength shots on goal, their second-most this season. And they did so with only 39 even-strength shot attempts, equating to a 76.9% on-goal percentage.

“Last game, we were holding it down there pretty [well], and that helps everyone out,” DeBrincat said. “It’s a lot easier to create chances, and their ‘D’ get tired, and you get to have that extra chance. If we do that more, we’re going to be able to win a lot more of these games and stay with some of those top teams.”

Notes: A week removed from his brutal concussion, Jujhar Khaira has been able to hang out around the Hawks locker room the past two days. “The guys were excited to see him, [to see] he’s up and moving around pretty good,” King said, adding it’s still going to “take some time” for Khaira to fully recover.

Henrik Borgstrom remains out with a non-COVID illness and Kurtis Gabriel hasn’t practiced the past two days due to pending immigration paperwork. In Rockford, top prospect Lukas Reichel was removed from concussion protocol Tuesday.

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Buccaneers offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich (left, with quarterback Tom Brady), is expected to be in the running for a head coaching job after this season. | Jason Behnken/AP Photos

With the 4-9 Bears expected to fire coach Matt Nagy after four seasons, one big question in particular looms: Do they have the right guy to find the right guy?

Should the Bears get the jump on everyone else to hire Byron Leftwich or Eric Bieniemy as their next head coach? Should they hire Ryan Day? Or Brian Daboll? Or Josh McDaniels? Or Todd Bowles? Or Luke Fickell? Or Pat Fitzgerald? Or Jim Harbaugh?

Who knows?

That’s not a rhetorical question. Who actually knows?

With the firing of Matt Nagy apparently fait accompli, speculation is rampant about the Bears’ next head coach. And much of it stems from resume-based/coaching-tree projections that may or may not translate to success at Halas Hall.

How much of Leftwich’s success with the Buccaneers is due to having the greatest quarterback of all time? What is Bieniemy’s actual impact on the Chiefs’ offense, with Andy Reid running that show? Did Day make Justin Fields a great quarterback, or did Fields make Day a great offensive coordinator?

Daboll’s resume as a quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator in the NFL is a litany of mediocrity — Chad Pennington, Brady Quinn, Derek Anderson, Matt Moore, Matt Cassel and one of Brett Favre’s worst seasons. But Josh Allen blossoms under him and Daboll is a hot head coaching candidate? Why did it take this long to find out?

Whether you’e speculating from the outside or actually making the pick from the inside, finding the right coach is a dicey proposition — especially with the cloud of dysfunction that hovers over Halas Hall. Do McDaniels, Bowles or Leslie Frazier need the second chance that Bill Belichick got? Is Kellen Moore the next Sean Payton? Does Nathaniel Hackett have more to do with the Packers’ success than anyone thinks?

Who knows? I don’t. But I do know this: The guy who picks the next coach should have the same intuition about coaches as the guy who hired Reid as the Eagles head coach when Reid was a quarterbacks coach who had never played quarterback. Or the guy who hired Mike Tomlin as the Steelers’ head coach when Tomlin had been mostly a secondary coach in the NFL, except for one season as a defensive coordinator with the Vikings.

Therein likes the problem for the Bears: Do they have the right guy to pick the right guy? General manager Ryan Pace has a dubious record on big decisions. He’s 0-3 with quarterbacks — with the verdict on Justin Fields still out standing. And he’s 0-1-1 with head coaches (0-2 to many Bears observers, but John Fox was a marriage-of-convenience during a teardown/rebuild stage, so his three-year tenure wasn’t the failure that Nagy has been.)

Pace hasn’t shown the type of intuition the Bears need — not that he couldn’t get it right the third time. (Many of the best hires in the NFL are more luck than genius.) But the clean-house option that brings in a new GM has its own inherent problem, with chairman George McCaskey and president Ted Phillips at the top: Do the Bears have the right guys to find the right guy to find the right guy? Ugh. Nobody said being a Bears fan was easy.

2. Are McCaskey and Phillips paying attention to the Chicago sports scene? Both the Blackhawks and Bulls have reversed recent fortunes with a house-cleaning level of change, eliciting a renewed excitement among their fan bases.

The Bulls in particular have prospered from the hiring of Arturas Karnisovas to replace favorite-son John Paxson as vice-president of basketball operations. The Bulls rotation has included eight players who were on eight different teams a year ago — and under Billy Donovan have gained immediate chemistry.

It’s one thing to get the players, but knowing what fits and getting the right coach has made all the difference.

3. With the Bears’ 45-30 loss to the Packers on Sunday night at Lambeau Field, Matt Nagy’s record against Green Bay dropped to 1-7 — 0-4 at Lambeau. But Nagy still is 13-9 (.591) overall against the NFC North, because he’s 12-2 against the Lions (7-1) and Vikings (5-1).

That’s the second-best record in the division of any coach since Mike Ditka, behind Lovie Smith (32-22, .593). And Nagy will even eclipse Lovie if the Bears sweep the Vikings in the final month of the season.

4. The List: Bears coaches vs. the Packers in the Brett Favre/Aaron Rodgers era: Matt Nagy (1-7), John Fox (1-5), Marc Trestman (1-3), Lovie Smith (8-10), Dick Jauron (2-8), Dave Wannstedt (1-11), Mike Ditka (1-1).

5. Red Flag Dept.: Nagy disputed the notion that the Packers out-foxed the Bears to get Davante Adams away from cornerback Jaylon Johnson — though Adams clearly was more productive when matched up against any defender other than Johnson.

But Nagy had no answer to the gist of the question: If the Packers can scheme to get Adams the ball, why can’t the Bears scheme to get Allen Robinson the ball? Robinson had two receptions for 14 yards against the Packers.

“They’re both really, really good wide receivers, and … you see [Darnell] Mooney and A-Rob didn’t have many targets [11 total]. But there were play calls where they were supposed to get the ball and they didn’t for different reasons.

“We’re trying at times. You’ve got to be able to work around how you do that and when you do — and that’s part of the growing process for all of us and Justin [Fields] too.”

6. Giving rookie left tackle Teven Jenkins experience in the final few games already looks shaky after Jenkins struggled in his NFL debut on offense against the Packers. Jenkins had four penalties — two false starts and two holding calls — and allowed a strip/sack of Justin Fields, with the Packers recovering the fumble.

Jenkins, though, was in a tough spot — replacing injured starter Jason Peters in the first quarter against the Packers on the road. He might be better with a full week to prepare, physically and mentally.

Rookie right tackle Larry Borom is holding his own, but starting two rookie tackles is a rarity in the NFL. The Packers did it with left tackle Chad Clifton and right tackle Mark Tauscher in the final 10 games of the 2000 season (and went 7-3 in a non-playoff 9-7 season).

But Clifton and Tauscher — who ended up playing the next 10 years together — were protecting veteran Brett Favre, who was adept at minimizing their mistakes. Two rookie tackles with a rookie quarterback — even one as mobile as Fields — is a little more risky.

7. Fields’ incomplete pass to tight end Cole Kmet just past the goal line in the first quarter epitomized the failure of the Nagy offense. The throw could have been more accurate. And Kmet could have made a tough catch. But they did not connect and the Bears settled for three points instead of seven.

Kmet’s production has increased this season (43 receptions, 419 yards, though no touchdowns), but his ceiling seems to get lower every time out — at least in this offense.

8. Bits & Pieces: Jakeem Grant’s 97-yard punt return touchdown was the longest in franchise history (Johnny Bailey had a 95-yard return in 1990) and tied for the fifth longest in the NFL in the last 20 years. … Rasul Douglas’ pick-6 against Fields was the first against the Bears since Alec Ogletree returned a Chase Daniel interception eight yards for the Giants in 2018. … Cairo Santos (19-of-22) and ex-Bears Brian Johnson (9-of-9) and Eddy Pinerio (3-of-3 for the Jets on Sunday) are a combined 31-of-34 on field goals this season, with one of Santos’ misses from 65 yards. … The Bears scored 24 or more points in a quarter against the Packers for only the second time in franchise history. They scored 28 in the second quarter of a 61-7 rout in 1980 at Soldier Field.

9. Josh McCown Ex-Bears Player of the Week: Buccaneers wide receiver Breshad Perriman, who spent nine weeks on the Bears’ roster without getting into a game, turned a six-yard pass from Tom Brady into a 58-yard touchdown in overtime to give the Buccaneers a 33-27 victory over the Bills.

The Buccaneers signed Perriman to their practice squad three days after the Bears released him on Nov. 7.

10. Bear-ometer: 6-11 — vs. Vikings (W); at Seahawks (L); vs. Giants (W); at Vikings (L).

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