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Bears podcast: Justin Fields did what?

Patrick Finley and Jason Lieser break down another amazing Justin Fields performance — and a predictable finish — in Sunday’s loss to the Lions.

New episodes of “Halas Intrigue” will be published regularly with accompanying stories collected on the podcast’s hub page. You can also listen to “Halas Intrigue” wherever you get your podcasts, including Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Luminary, Spotify and Stitcher.

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5 killed by gunfire in Chicago over the weekend, 12-year-old girl among 20 wounded

Five people were killed and 20 others wounded in shootings across Chicago over the weekend.

o In the weekend’s first fatal attack, a would-be robber and a clerk who tried to stop the hold-up fatally shot each other Friday night inside a South Shore neighborhood grocery store.

The exchange of gunfire started shortly after 6:20 p.m., when Nicholas Williams walked into the El Barakah Supermarket near 73rd Street and Coles Avenue and showed a handgun, Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office said. Williams, 24, shot Ali Hasan, a 63-year-old worker at the store, in the chest and back, authorities said. Hasan, who had a Firearm Owner’s Identification card with a concealed carry license, then pulled a gun from his waistband and fired back, hitting Williams in the chest.

The younger man, who lived in the neighborhood, ran from the store but collapsed about a block away and died, authorities said. Hasan, a Palestinian immigrant who lived in Berwyn, was taken to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

On Saturday, a man died after being shot in Chicago Lawn. The man, believed to be in his 40s, was dropped off about 9 p.m. at Holy Cross Hospital with a gunshot wound to his neck and died a short time later, police said. The shooting occurred in the 6300 block of South Fairfield Avenue, but investigators were not immediately able to obtain additional information from people at the scene. Early Sunday, another man was fatally shot on the Near West Side. Officers were investigating about 2:40 a.m in the 2200 block of West Walnut Street after hearing multiple gunshots in the area. When they arrived, they saw a suspect fire at a man, then get into a gray car and drive off, police said. The man, who was shot in the back, was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. A man was shot to death Sunday afternoon in Archer Heights on the Southwest Side. The man, 29, was shot in his arms about 4:15 p.m. in the 4800 block of South Tripp Avenue, police said. He was taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. His name hasn’t been released yet. Less than two hours later, a male was fatally shot in a South Austin drive-by on the West Side. About 6 p.m., the male was on the sidewalk in the 200 block of South Laramie Avenue when he was shot in the face and leg, police said. He was taken to Stroger Hospital in critical condition, but he died from his injuries, police said. His age wasn’t immediately known.In other shootings, two men were wounded early Saturday on the Lower West Side while standing in the 2300 block of South Damen Avenue about 2:10 a.m., police said. One man, 19, was hit in the leg and hip; the other man, 22, was grazed in the hip. Both were taken to Mount Sinai Hospital, where they were listed in good condition.Sunday morning, a 12-year-old girl was shot in the neck while walking in Calumet Heights. The girl was in the 8900 block of South Chicago Avenue when someone in a dark-colored car fired at her. She was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital in critical condition.A 17-year-old boy was shot Saturday evening in the Austin neighborhood on the West Side. The teen was walking about 6:30 p.m. in the 5300 block of West Harrison Street when he was approached by someone who engaged him in conversation and then fired shots, police said. He was struck in the groin and taken to West Suburban Medical Center in Oak Park, where he was listed in good condition.A 15-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting Sunday evening in Greater Grand Crossing on the South Side. The teen was in an alley about 6 p.m. in the 4900 block of South Indiana Avenue when he was shot in the right leg, police said. He was taken to Comer Children’s Hospital, where he was listed in good condition, police said.

At least 15 other people were wounded in gun violence across Chicago since Friday evening.

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Bulls rookie Dalen Terry returns from G-League assignment

Bulls rookie Dalen Terry spent the summer before his first NBA season getting work in and playing pickup games wherever he could.

He spent most of his time working out in Los Angeles. Asked whom he spent time working with, Terry responded, ”Everybody.” But there was one specific encounter that stood out among the rest.

”I was playing two-on-two,” Terry said. ”It was me and Kyrie [Irving] against [Kevin Durant] and somebody else. Kyrie was like, ‘You got KD?’ I was like, ‘Dang, all right. Bet.’ ”

Terry said he stole the ball from Durant once before the two-time NBA champion reminded him who was boss.

”There was nothing I could do about it, but he had to guard me, too,” Terry said, laughing.

Terry lit up while telling the story, emphasizing all he wants to do is play basketball. So when he was assigned to the Bulls’ G-League team Thursday, he didn’t perceive it as a demotion as much as an opportunity to get some quality minutes. Terry hasn’t logged more than 10 minutes for the Bulls so far this season.

”It felt good to go against somebody besides the imagination in my head,” Terry said. ”There’s no better way of getting back in game shape than playing some games.”

On Sunday, Terry scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the Windy City Bulls in the afternoon, then was recalled to the NBA for the Bulls’ game against the Nuggets.

Coach Billy Donovan’s message for Terry when he went to the G-League was simple: ”Help the team win.” Terry did that by contributing significantly in back-to-back victories by Windy City. On Saturday, Terry nearly had a triple-double with 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

Donovan said opportunity lies in a player’s mindset, and Terry had the right one during his first tour of duty in the G-League.

”In those situations, it’s so imperative that a player not go down there and think, ‘I have carte blanche to do whatever I want to do because it’s all about my development,’ ” Donovan said. ”The other guys on the roster are all being impacted by that. If you can impact the roster in a positive way, that’s a good sign.”

As far as whether the players’ union has any restrictions about players playing in two games in one day, Donovan said that the Bulls were able to recall Terry and that was all the answer he needed.

White update

Donovan had no significant update on the status of guard Coby White, who missed his seventh consecutive game with a bruised left quad. Donovan said White is doing better, but the biggest issue remains swelling in his leg.

Donovan said the injury will set White back significantly because of the toll it has taken on his endurance. Donovan isn’t concerned about his touches and timing, but White hasn’t been able to use his legs, so the biggest hurdle will be ramping back up to the level he had reached in summer workouts and during the preseason.

”He’s doing some light jogging,” Donovan said. ”Cutting, moving, jumping, all those things, I don’t know how far we are away from that. Clearly, before he gets back on the court, the medical guys will want to see that his conditioning is where it needs to be.”

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Garland has NBA season-high 51 points in losson November 14, 2022 at 2:40 am

Cleveland All-Star point guard Darius Garland scored 27 of his NBA season-high 51 points — and made six of his career-best 10 3-pointers — in the fourth quarter for the Cavaliers on Sunday night, but it wasn’t quite enough to bring them back after they trailed the Minnesota Timberwolves 99-75 late in the third.

D’Angelo Russell had season highs of 30 points and 12 assists, Karl-Anthony Towns scored 29 points, and the Timberwolves held off the short-handed Cavs 129-124.

Garland’s point total surpassed the previous season high set by Ja Morant, who had 49 points for the Memphis Grizzlies against the Houston Rockets on Oct. 21.

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Garland, whose 51 points were also a career best, made two free throws with 8.3 seconds left to pull Cleveland within 126-124, but Russell made it 127-124 from the foul line. Kevin Love threw away the subsequent inbounds pass, and Taurean Prince made two free throws to lock up the win.

The Cavaliers, who lost their fourth in a row, played without injured All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Jarrett Allen. Mitchell was sidelined with a sprained right ankle, while Allen sat out with a sore left ankle.

Russell made 11 of 13 shots, including 4 of 5 3-pointers, and Towns grabbed 13 rebounds for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing streak. Prince had 19 points off the bench, and Rudy Gobert added 15 points and 12 rebounds.

Lamar Stevens had 15 points, Evan Mobley grabbed 13 rebounds and Love had 14 points for the Cavaliers. Cleveland lost at home for the first time in five games this season.

The Cavaliers had just 11 players in uniform, including two-way forwards Mamadi Diakite and Isaiah Mobley.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Bears’ shoddy defense reaching a breaking point

Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams seemed to sense a chance to put the hammer down with a 14-point lead early in the fourth quarter against the Lions on Sunday.

On first-and-10 at the Lions 45, Williams sent cornerback Kyler Gordon on a blitz, and it nearly worked. But Lions quarterback Jared Goff escaped the sack and ran toward the right sideline. Gordon turned around and did what he was coached to do — hustle back to play and try to make something happen.

Gordon caught up to Goff just as Goff was being forced out of bounds by linebacker Nick Morrow and swiped at the ball as Goff was going out of bounds at the Bears’ 45-yard line. But go too much of Goff and was penalized for unnecessary roughness. Instead of a loss, it turned into a 25-yard gain to the Bears’ 30.

“I chased him down and I punched the ball from underneath with one hand and the ref is gonna call what they’re gonna call. I’m just out there hustling,” Gordon said. “It’s really on the ref — it’s their judgment call. I’m gonna feel some [other] way about it, but that’s not up to me. I’m just gonna do my job. Nothing we can do about it. That’s their job, I guess.”

It was that kind of day for the Bears’ defense in a 31-30 loss at Soldier Field. After allowing 148 yards and 10 points on the Lions’ first two drives of the game, the defense allowed just 22 yards on 13 plays on their first three drives of the second half as the Bears’ built a 24-10 lead.

But it didn’t take much to revert to form and the defense soon fell into an all-too-familiar rut — the harder they tried to make a play, the worse they got. Three plays after Gordon’s penalty, linebacker Jack Sanborn intercepted Goff at the Bears 8-yard line, but it was nullified by a penalty on cornerback Jaylon Johnson for illegal hands to the face.

The defense couldn’t stand prosperity and wilted under pressure. After Justin Fields’ 67-yard touchdown run gave the Bears a 30-24 lead with 9:11 to play, punter Trenton Gill pinned the Lions at the 9-yard line with 5:23 left. But the Lions drove 91 yards on eight plays for the winning touchdown.

The frustration has reached a breaking point for the Bears’ defense. Johnson, who had two consecutive illegal-hands-to-the-face penalties in the fourth quarter, declined to talk after the game. Safety Eddie Jackson, who has emerged as the team’s most vocal leader, couldn’t hold back his irritation at the same issues cropping up while Justin Fields and the offense score enough points to win.

“We can’t keep shooting ourselves in the foot,” Jackson said. “I’m tired of keep getting up here [and] saying the same thing every week. It’s just become repetitive. I felt like we had a great week of practice — that’s the crazy part about it. I feel like we were flying around on defense. [The] offense is doing what they’ve been doing.

“We’ve just got to execute better. We gotta finish. We had a 14-point lead. We gotta go out there and do our job It works both ways. We gotta trust in our players. That’s about it.”

Jackson said he did not see Johnson’s penalty that nullified the Sanborn interceptions, “but I heard it … was a bad call.”

But that’s something the Bears have to overcome themselves.

“It sucks, but we have no control over that,” Jackson said. “Like I said, I’m tired of sounding like a broken record every week — week-in, week-out. We gotta do our job. We gotta be better on defense — it’s continued to show week-in and week-out. We gotta get this fixed. We’ve gotta get it fixed fast.”

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Bears miss chance at progress in loss to Lions as most reliable players falter late

The emphasis throughout this Bears season is on their dream of developing into a contender, and that outweighs everything else.

They missed a chance to move forward Sunday.

Don’t brush off 31-30 loss to the Lions as inconsequential, or even a positive because of how it could help them in the draft. Losing at home to a fellow rebuilder in the Lions is indefensible, especially when the Bears were up 24-10 with the ball to begin the fourth quarter. Closing that out would’ve been meaningful beyond Sunday.

“It plays a big factor in the big picture,” tight end Cole Kmet said. “You understand where this is going here, obviously, but you want to build a big-picture thing? You’ve gotta win some games.

“You have to get that feeling and understand how to do it. When we’re able to break through this thing and figure it out and be able to execute late in the game, it’s going to be really good for us going forward.”

The most crushing part is that the kids weren’t the ones who blew it. The game fell apart in the hands of some of their most reliable players: quarterback Justin Fields, cornerback Jaylon Johnson and kicker Cairo Santos.

The Bears know they’re going to take losses, but not because of those guys.

Fields made just one mistake Sunday, but it torpedoed the game.

On his pick-6 early in the fourth quarter, he made a brutally bad decision under pressure to loft one to Kmet, and without solid footing, he sailed it well over his head to cornerback Jeff Okudah for an easy interception to tie it at 24.

That’s undoubtedly the lasting image from this defeat, but it’s probably not as alarming as it felt in real time. That’s basically a rookie mistake by a quarterback making his 20th career start. That error can be corrected.

“Just a dumb play,” Fields acknowledged, saying he wished he had just thrown it into Soldier Field’s spray-painted dirt. “I can assure you that will never happen again for the rest of my career.”

If Fields couldn’t read coverages or grasp the playbook, the deficiencies that sunk Mitch Trubisky, that’d be trouble. One disastrous decision, ugly as it was, isn’t a terrifying omen.

By the way, he erased it as only he can: With a 67-yard touchdown run three plays later. We can call it even.

That would’ve guaranteed the Bears going to overtime at worst, but Santos missed the extra point. Lining up on the right hashmark, he sent it on a wild, wobbly hook to the left to leave the Bears leading 30-24.

“It’s easy to just count one point, but there’s so many things that happened,” Santos said. “We all have opportunities to make plays and help the team win. We can’t point fingers about why we didn’t come out with 31 points at the end.”

There’s nothing scarier for this defense than clinging to a six-point lead.

Actually, there is: Seeing a diminished version of Johnson.

There is precious little upon which the Bears’ defense can depend, and Johnson has been an absolute pillar. But he clearly wasn’t right after straining an oblique muscle in practice. He took himself out of the game for part of the second quarter — unusual for someone who rarely misses a snap.

On the Lions’ game-winning drive, Johnson lagged behind wide receiver Kalif Raymond as he got beat for 20 yards and fell a couple steps behind Tom Kennedy as he got free for a 44-yarder.

It’s unclear how much the injury affected Johnson because he declined to speak to reporters.

The Bears have actually dropped 6 of 7, a fact that was easy to forget lately because Fields has been flourishing. But they can’t go all season claiming moral victories. Part of their process must include actual wins, and they especially need to show they’re capable of that against teams on their level.

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Rookie Jack Sanborn gets Bears’ two sacks

Three takeaways from the Bears’ 31-30 loss to the Lions on Sunday:

Two sacks for Sanborn

Undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn started his second-straight game at inside linebacker and recorded the Bears’ only two sacks. No other undrafted rookie has posted a multi-sack game in the league this year.

Sanborn had a team-high 12 tackles.

“He’s very instinctual, makes a lot of plays on the ball, always reads his keys,” head coach Matt Eberflus said. “He’s always on it that way. Yeah, we’re pleased with where he’s going.”

Late lead gone

The Lions rallied from a 14-point deficit to win for the first time since beating the Vikings on Oct. 31, 1993.

“You have to be able to overcome things,” Eberflus said. “I’ve seen it before through my years of coaching that you have to be able to overcome adversities. That could come in many forms …”

St. Brown battle

The Lions won the battle of the St. Browns on Sunday. Amon-Ra St. Brown, their top receiver, caught 10 passes on 11 targets for 119 yards. Bears receiver Equanimeous St. Brown, who dropped a fourth-down pass a week earlier, ran two times for nine yards but did not see a target.

The brothers have a $1,000 bet on which team finishes with a better record. Both the Bears and Lions have three wins.

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Justin Fields is quickly becoming a top QB in fantasy football

Justin Fields is demonstrating that he is a significant fantasy football riser.

The best story in the 2022 fantasy football season is Justin Fields of the Chicago Bears. Justin Fields wants to break the NFL QB record for rushing yards in a single game, which he set last time out with 178 yards. The Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions squared off Sunday in Week 10 action.

Per Michael Fabiano, “Fields is the fourth-best quarterback to have in your lineup for week 10. Only Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and Jalen Hurts rank higher this week for fantasy owners”.

Justin Fields since this video
• 13 TDs / 2 Turnovers
• 271.7 Total Yards/Game
• 64% Accuracy
• 102.8 passer rating
• 30.9 Points a game
• #1 Fantasy QB
• NFC Offensive Player of the Week
• 5 New NFL/Bears Records
https://t.co/FR9mE3pcHz

Besides a lousy pick-6 that was a turning point in the game, Justin Fields has also been effective with the ball. He has a 109.9 passer rating, 160 yards, and two touchdowns through the air. Justin Fields leads most fantasy football leagues by more than 40 points. He had 45 fantasy points last week and could surpass that total if the Bears get a few more possessions. Fields’ current run is unprecedented. He has more fantasy points in the last two weeks than in the previous six weeks combined.

Justin Fields had another monster day on the ground, extending his reign as one of the NFL’s most prolific fantasy football quarterbacks. The Bears rookie finished with 147 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Aside from the pick-6, he had a good day through the air, completing 12 of 20 passes for 167 yards.

Fields had an excellent performance, and the Bears have much to look forward to. Fantasy football owners have even more to be excited about, especially ifFields is in their dynasty/keeper league.

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Get Out Alive, Queer Dance Freakout, and more

Here are some interesting concerts going on tonight (with links to past coverage of the musicians by our music writers):

Jazz with pianist Ben Paterson’s trio (5:30 PM and 7:30 PM, Winter’s Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Ct. on the promenade, $27.75-$32.75, 21+, tickets at the venue’s website)
Singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale (7 PM, Judson and Moore Distillery, 3057 N. Rockwell, building five, $25-$30, 21+, tickets at Eventbrite)
Ye Gods brings electronic music to Sleeping Village, along with openers Club Music, Conjunto Primitivo, JS Alvarez, and Club Drippy (9 PM, 3734 W. Belmont, $15, 21+, tickets at Etix) (SCJ)

Multidisciplinary artist Nikki Lynette’s Get Out Alive blew the doors off the Den Theatre in Wicker Park during its run with Haven this past summer. Through stories, songs, dance, and multimedia, Lynette laid out her struggles with abusive relationships, trauma, and her journey back after a suicide attempt, and also provided a larger framework for looking at depression, addiction, and self-harm in Black communities. (Lynette is also a frequent speaker on mental health and suicide survival.) Developed with Northwestern University’s American Music Theatre Project, Get Out Alive was also presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut series of new work before the pandemic shutdown. Now a film adaptation of the show, directed by Roger Ellis, plays tonight at 7 PM as part of this year’s Black Harvest Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State). Lynette, Ellis, and creative producer Brannon Bowers will be on hand for a post-screening discussion; the film also streams 11/21-11/27. Single tickets for tonight and for the streaming version are $12 ($6 for Film Center members) and can be reserved at siskelfilmcenter.org (KR)

Queer Dance Freakout is an interactive night hosted at Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) inspired by the Neo-Futurist Ensemble’s Infinite Wrench structure. The Queer Dance Freakout company of queer, trans, and nonbinary choreographers and storytellers perform up to 30 dances, each happening for about one minute, and the audience calls out which dance they would like to see next in between numbers. Each performance includes new stories and choreography so no evening is exactly the same as before. It happens tonight, Sun 11/20, and Sun 12/4 at 7 PM; tickets are sliding scale from $20-$40 (available on Eventbrite) but no one will be turned away for lack of funds (reach out to [email protected] for a discount code). (SCJ)

Taneshia “Just Nesh” Rice has been seen on Comedy Central, Russell Simmons’s HBO comedy showcase All Def Comedy, TruTV, and comedian and actress Mo’Nique’s 2020 Showtime special Mo’Nique & Friends, but even after more than a decade in the biz, she can also be found hosting and doing her own stand-up at a variety of Chicago clubs. Tonight’s a chance to see Just Nesh’s energetic jokes in Old Town as she performs at Zanies Chicago (7 PM, 1548 N. Wells). Tickets are $20, and Zanies requires patrons to purchase two items (food or drink) minimum while seated. (SCJ)

Get Out Alive, Queer Dance Freakout, and more Read More »

Get Out Alive, Queer Dance Freakout, and moreKerry Reid and Salem Collo-Julinon November 13, 2022 at 10:40 pm

Here are some interesting concerts going on tonight (with links to past coverage of the musicians by our music writers):

Jazz with pianist Ben Paterson’s trio (5:30 PM and 7:30 PM, Winter’s Jazz Club, 465 N. McClurg Ct. on the promenade, $27.75-$32.75, 21+, tickets at the venue’s website)
Singer-songwriter Jim Lauderdale (7 PM, Judson and Moore Distillery, 3057 N. Rockwell, building five, $25-$30, 21+, tickets at Eventbrite)
Ye Gods brings electronic music to Sleeping Village, along with openers Club Music, Conjunto Primitivo, JS Alvarez, and Club Drippy (9 PM, 3734 W. Belmont, $15, 21+, tickets at Etix) (SCJ)

Multidisciplinary artist Nikki Lynette’s Get Out Alive blew the doors off the Den Theatre in Wicker Park during its run with Haven this past summer. Through stories, songs, dance, and multimedia, Lynette laid out her struggles with abusive relationships, trauma, and her journey back after a suicide attempt, and also provided a larger framework for looking at depression, addiction, and self-harm in Black communities. (Lynette is also a frequent speaker on mental health and suicide survival.) Developed with Northwestern University’s American Music Theatre Project, Get Out Alive was also presented as part of Steppenwolf’s LookOut series of new work before the pandemic shutdown. Now a film adaptation of the show, directed by Roger Ellis, plays tonight at 7 PM as part of this year’s Black Harvest Film Festival at the Gene Siskel Film Center (164 N. State). Lynette, Ellis, and creative producer Brannon Bowers will be on hand for a post-screening discussion; the film also streams 11/21-11/27. Single tickets for tonight and for the streaming version are $12 ($6 for Film Center members) and can be reserved at siskelfilmcenter.org (KR)

Queer Dance Freakout is an interactive night hosted at Elastic Arts (3429 W. Diversey, second floor) inspired by the Neo-Futurist Ensemble’s Infinite Wrench structure. The Queer Dance Freakout company of queer, trans, and nonbinary choreographers and storytellers perform up to 30 dances, each happening for about one minute, and the audience calls out which dance they would like to see next in between numbers. Each performance includes new stories and choreography so no evening is exactly the same as before. It happens tonight, Sun 11/20, and Sun 12/4 at 7 PM; tickets are sliding scale from $20-$40 (available on Eventbrite) but no one will be turned away for lack of funds (reach out to [email protected] for a discount code). (SCJ)

Taneshia “Just Nesh” Rice has been seen on Comedy Central, Russell Simmons’s HBO comedy showcase All Def Comedy, TruTV, and comedian and actress Mo’Nique’s 2020 Showtime special Mo’Nique & Friends, but even after more than a decade in the biz, she can also be found hosting and doing her own stand-up at a variety of Chicago clubs. Tonight’s a chance to see Just Nesh’s energetic jokes in Old Town as she performs at Zanies Chicago (7 PM, 1548 N. Wells). Tickets are $20, and Zanies requires patrons to purchase two items (food or drink) minimum while seated. (SCJ)

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Get Out Alive, Queer Dance Freakout, and moreKerry Reid and Salem Collo-Julinon November 13, 2022 at 10:40 pm Read More »