The Chicago Bulls, who had as many as 10 players in the NBA’s health and safety protocols last week, have all team members available to play in Thursday’s game vs. Indiana.Read More

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association are near a deal that could return some players to active play in six days based upon COVID-19 testing procedures, sources told ESPN.Read More

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Chicago Public Schools is requiring that all basketball players be fully vaccinated in order to play, effective immediately.

“In addition to the currently established eligibility requirements all players must be fully vaccinated (per CDC guidelines an individual is considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the second vaccine shot),” CPS Athletic Program Administrator Tony McCoy wrote in an email to athletic directors on Thursday. “[The Office of Sports Administration] will be in touch with additional guidelines for submission of documentation as part of this updated sports participation eligibility requirement, but we wanted to provide this information to you so that you can plan accordingly.”

Most of the top Public League boys basketball teams are fully vaccinated. That comes along with traveling around the country to play games. Back in November, Young coach Tyrone Slaughter said his entire program was fully vaccinated. Simeon coach Robert Smith said today that his team is fully vaccinated.

Kenwood coach Mike Irvin says all but one player on his team meets the guidelines.

“Personally I support it,” Irvin said. “I’m fully vaccinated. This could be kind of a hard thing for some teams, coming up at the last second. But right now there are so many people coming up with COVID. I understand it.”

Curie coach Mike Oliver says his top eight players are all fully vaccinated. But he brings up an interesting point.

“I haven’t read the email yet but my phone is blowing up with people talking about it,” Oliver said. “That could be a real issue with some players and their religions. I don’t have a problem with it myself but it could be a problem for some people.”

The major holiday basketball tournaments all start up on Dec. 27 and 28th. Any player that isn’t fully vaccinated now will have to sit out the holiday tournaments and could miss all of January while meeting the requirements.

“That could be the rest of the season for some players,” Oliver said. “It’s going to be interesting.”

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The Bears’ game against the Seahawks could be the battle of bum ankles — Justin Fields vs. Russell Wilson.

Both quarterbacks suffered ankle injuries last week that could impact Fields’ availability and Wilson’s effectiveness Sunday at Lumen Field. Fields was limited again in practice Thursday and is no certainty to start against the Seahawks. Andy Dalton returned from the reserve/COVID-19 list Thursday and practiced in full.

Wilson “got smashed up a little bit” on a sack against the Rams on Tuesday night. He is expected to start against the Bears, but the injury could be a factor on a short week.

“I’m feeling good, trying to get better every way with it,” Wilson told reporters in Seattle on Thursday. “I’m working 24/7 around the clock with it. I was at walk-through and practice [Thursday], so I’m feeling good.”

Defensive end Akiem Hicks was put on the reserve/COVID-19 list, putting his status for Sunday’s game in doubt. With Dalton and defensive end Mario Edwards being activated Thursday, the Bears have 10 players on the reserve/COVID-19 list, including wide receiver Allen Robinson, cornerback Jaylon Johnson, safety Tashaun Gipson and defensive lineman Bilal Nichols.

Left tackle Jason Peters (high ankle sprain), wide receiver/kick returner Jakeem Grant (concussion) and cornerback Xavier Crawford (concussion) did not practice. Wide receiver Marquise Goodwin (foot) was limited.

Lazor, Tabor return

Offensive coordinator Bill Lazor and special teams coordinator Chris Tabor were cleared from coronavirus protocol to return to Halas Hall this week. Both did not work the Vikings game on Monday night.

“It was tough,” Tabor said. “Sometimes it’s tough [watching on television] because of the camera shots that they put. The kick return that Herbs [Khalil Herbert] knocks out to the 30 — it’s kind of on top there, so you can’t really see what’s taking place.

“That makes it hard, but I thought coach [Brian] Ginn did a great job. Those guys that had to step up and got opportunities to play for the first time did a nice job, so I was really fired up for those guys. And, obviously, it’s not an experience that I want to go through again.”

A low blow

Cornerback Teez Tabor was called for a low block penalty when he cut in front of Vikings tackle Brian O’Neill while tackling running back Dalvin Cook in the third quarter. It turned a fourth-and-13 at the Vikings 20-yard-line into a first-and-10 at their 35. So instead of punting, the Vikings completed a 12-play, 77-yard touchdown drive for a 17-3 lead.

It appeared that Tabor was penalized for playing football. He wasn’t blocking, he was tackling.

“I thought he did a tremendous job of taking a shot and making a tackle,” Bears defensive coordinator Sean Desai said. “He avoided the o-lineman and didn’t hit him low. I understand the safety part of it — I’m all for the player-safety part of it. But he didn’t hit him. So I’ve got to do a better job of maybe taking his target-point a little bit higher as he goes and takes his shot. And I’ll do that.”

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Oak Brook Mall was placed under lockdown Thursday evening after calls of shots fired inside the mall, according to preliminary information from Oak Brook Police.

Authorities were alerted of a shooter inside the mall about 6 p.m., according to Sgt. Reid Foltyniewicz.

“One person is in custody and there are potentially four victims,” Oak Brook police said. “We are still clearing Oakbrook Center, checking for other offenders and victims.”

This is a developing story, check back for details.

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Thursday, December 23, 2021

METRO SUBURBAN BLUE

Aurora Christian at Timothy Christian, 6:00

MID-SUBURBAN WEST

Fremd at Hoffman Estates, 4:30

NONCONFERENCE

Dunbar 64, Brooks 53

Niles West 67, North Chicago 38

Oak Lawn 63, Stagg 55

Douglass at Austin, 4:00

Kankakee at Providence, 6:00

Libertyville at Vernon Hills, 5:30

Manley at Wells, 3:00

Mundelein at Lake Park, 4:30

Prosser at Chicago Richards, 6:00

HINSDALE CENTRAL

Quarterfinals

Stevenson d. Maine South (forfeit)

Homewood-Flossmoor vs. St. Rita, 5:15

Marian Catholic vs. Oswego East, 7:00

Hinsdale Central vs. DePaul Prep, 8:30

Consolation

Lincoln-Way Central 64, Willowbrook 62

Morton d. Oak Forest (forfeit)

Rockford Auburn 68, Richards 32

St. Charles East 66, Glenbard East 53

JACOBS

Barrington 73, South Elgin 55

Grant 76, Streamwood 55

Loyola 57, Cary-Grove 53 (3OT)

Marian Central 67, Jacobs 52

Prairie Ridge 41, Grayslake Central 36

Larkin vs. Crystal Lake South, 5:30

Rockford Jefferson vs. Bartlett, 7:00

Johnsburg vs. Waubonsie Valley, 8:30

MARENGO

Genoa-Kingston vs. Wauconda, 7:30 (title)

Rockford Christian vs. Marengo, 6:00 (third)

Sycamore vs. Freeport, 4:30 (fifth)

Woodstock North vs. Rochelle, 3:00 (seventh)

Grayslake North 55, Fenton 52 (cons. title)

Harvest Christian 61, Crystal Lake Central 33

Richmond-Burton d. Harvard

Woodstock 66, Stillman Valley 49

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We didn’t get a chance to talk to Roquan Smith about not making the Pro Bowl despite another outstanding season, but it doesn’t matter. Roquan has been snubbed for league-wide honors so often in his four-year career, we know how he feels about it.

”The Pro Bowl stuff, it’s a popularity thing,” Smith told the Sun-Times after — even more incredulously — not making the NFL’s Top 100 list prior to the 2021 season.

“I’m not out there tweeting all this stuff: ‘Vote me, vote me.’ That’s not something I do. Hey, I play ball. I come out in every game and do what I need to do, and I let everything else handle itself. I’m not too worried about, ‘Vote me into this’ and ‘Vote me into that.’ The Bears organization knows who I am for this organization.”

Smith did not make the initial NFC Pro Bowl roster at inside linebacker despite 140 tackles, nine tackles-for-loss, three sacks and a interception he returned 53 yards for a touchdown that made the difference in a 20-17 victory over the Bengals.

As was the case last year, both players who beat him out were worthy: the Seahawks’ Bobby Wagner leads the NFL in tackles with 158 — he was named to the Pro Bowl for the eighth consecutive season. Cowboys rookie Micah Parsons has 12 sacks and is a leading contender for NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year.

And if it doesn’t bother Smith, it bothers Bears usually soft-spoken defensive coordinator Sean Desai.

“It’s a travesty to me that he’s not getting these accolades,” Desai said. “He deserves every single accolade that one of the best linebackers in the league deserves — and he is one of the best linebackers in the league. You can put on the tape week-in and week-out.

“With the stats he’s got — obviously the interception for a touchdown; he’s top five in tackles, solo and total. He’s at the top of every category in the league and his play and his relentless nature and his speed on the tape shows up every week.

“I know he doesn’t look into those things, and neither do I normally. But yeah, I’ll take the burden for him and I’ll make sure people in the league know that he’s one of the best linebackers in the league.”

For the record, Smith was named to The Sporting News All-Pro first team (a poll of NFL head coaches) and the Associated Press All-Pro second team last season, so it’s not like he has been totally ignored. But he falls through the cracks in the Pro Bowl voting, in part because, as a dedicated inside linebacker, he doesn’t have enough splash plays — he has three sacks, one interception, no forced fumbles or fumble recoveries this season. At this point last season, he had 17 tackles-for-loss. This year he has nine.

Parsons not only has 12 sacks, but 27 quarterback hits and 17 tackles-for-loss and three forced fumbles. But that’s because he plays a pass-rushing game, even lining up at defensive end in two games this season. So really only one true inside linebacker made the NFC team.

“Micah Parsons is a different linebacker in a different system,” Desai said. “Roquan’s played a true inside linebacker for us all the time. You can skew [statistics] however you want to skew it. But the one thing you can’t skew is that this guy is in the top five in pretty much everything.

“So you can look at whoever you want and compare him to whoever you want, but when you look at his production on tape and see the speed and instincts with which this guy plays and how he [makes] people around him better, he’s kind of been the one constant for us this year that’s played in every game and has been productive every single game — his ability to get off blocks, to key and diagnose plays and get to the ball carrier on a consistent basis is unique, and I think that’s what needs to be emphasized.”

The 24-year-old Smith also was slowed by a hamstring injury that limited him to 18 snaps against the Lions. He never missed a full game, returning the following week to play all 53 snaps against the Cardinals, with eight tackles and one-tackle-for-loss against the Cardinals. But that kind of grit doesn’t make the highlight reels, or the box score and generally doesn’t get noticed outside of Chicago.

And even though he has played 95% of the Bears’ defensive snaps this season, Smith’s opportunities have been limited relative to other every-down linebackers. Smith has played 849 snaps in 14 games this season. Wagner has played 1,053 snaps in 14 games for the Seahawks.

“He’s definitely one of the top linebackers in the league, if not the best one,” said teammate Alec Ogletree, who has lined up next to Smith most of this season. “If you really watch the film and understand and actually see our defense and see who is out there making plays, he’s one of the guys that makes plays all over the field.

“And he’s done that every year throughout his career and continued to get better. [This] just adds a little more fuel to the fire for him.”

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As fire tore through his Englewood home Wednesday morning, Joseph Ortiz accepted what he thought was his fate.

“I was preparing to die,” said Ortiz, 36, who uses a wheelchair after being wounded in a shooting nearly a decade ago. “I just gave up.”

But amid the flames and smoke emerged officer Adrian McCoy, who found Ortiz on the second floor and carried him down to safety. McCoy then went back inside and rescued three other residents.

During a news conference Thursday at Chicago Police headquarters, Supt. David Brown lauded McCoy’s “true heroism and professionalism” in setting aside his own well-being “to ensure the safety of the residents.”

“I am very proud to stand here with this hero,” Brown said.

Chicago Police Supt. David Brown, left, speaks about the actions of officer Adrian McCoy to save Joseph Ortiz during press conference at the Chicago Police headquarters at 3510 S. Michigan Ave. in Bronzeville, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-Times

A school resource officer at the nearby Englewood STEM High School, McCoy told reporters he was responding to another call when he noticed smoke coming from the home in the 6700 block of South Normal Avenue and snapped into action.

“By the time I ran upstairs to grab Mr. Ortiz, I noticed that the smoke was getting real dark and real black,” said McCoy, who has been on the police force for over four years. “So that’s why I had to hurry up and rush and get him out. And the flames, as well, [were] getting heavy.”

McCoy, 43, suffered smoke inhalation and was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, but no other injuries were reported, according to Larry Merritt, a spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department. Merritt couldn’t say how the fire started, but it’s not believed to be arson.

Once the smoke cleared, McCoy said he and Ortiz’s family shared an emotional phone call later Wednesday.

“It was very sentimental and very heartfelt to know … how grateful they are of what I did,” noted McCoy, who said he’s in turn grateful to God for putting him there.

“It was very emotional for me,” he added. “I’m not a person to get emotional very quickly, but it was. And I’m glad. It makes me proud.”

In an interview, Ortiz again expressed his appreciation: “Just being alive and having another day to live, that’s in his hands.”

Left only with the clothes on his back, Ortiz said he’s staying with his mother over the holidays as he looks for a new home. Still, he remained positive.

“I might not have nothing, but I’ve got my life,” he said. “That’s the best Christmas that I can ever ask for.”

Joseph Ortiz, left, and officer Adrian McCoy, right, greet one another after a press conference at the Chicago Police Headquarters at 3510 S. Michigan Ave. in Bronzeville, Thursday, Dec. 23, 2021.Anthony Vazquez/Sun-TimesRead More