Chicago Sun-Times

Illinois’ loss to No. 23 Indiana has foul smell

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 00:01:32 -0600

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Bruce Weber doesn’t like playing Indiana, and he probably won’t like it even more after what happened to Illinois on Thursday night at Assembly Hall. The Illini lost to the No. 23 Hoosiers 84-71, falling to sixth in the Big Ten. “Our kids played hard and they battled and they kept fighting,” Weber said. “We didn’t adjust enough, and we have to have everybody play well at the same time. Somewhere, we have to put it all together and get a road win someplace.” Illinois (16-8, 5-6) was coming off a 74-70 loss Sunday against Northwestern, the …

Bears, Giants are close, but there is some separation

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:58:52 -0600

If the Green Bay Packers and New York Giants are the last two Super Bowl champions, how far away can the Bears be? The Bears were NFC North champions ahead of the Packers in 2010 and battled the Packers to the end in the NFC Championship Game even with Caleb Hanie playing most of the second half. The Giants were below the Bears in every NFL power ranking with six games left in the 2011 regular season. On Nov. 20, the Bears were 7-3 after beating the San Diego Chargers, while the Giants were 6-4 after losing to the Philadelphia …

Tom Thibodeau must weigh Derrick Rose’s health vs. short-term gain

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:58:56 -0600

To find a team worse than the Hornets, you’d probably have to go to the Chicago Public League. Yet Derrick Rose and his grumpy back played 22 senseless minutes in a blowout victory over New Orleans on Wednesday night. I’m not sure what the purpose was of him even laying eyes on the court. The Bulls could’ve beaten the Hornets with John Lucas VI at point guard, and he won’t be born for another 40 years or so. Someone needs to introduce coach Tom Thibodeau to the word “chill.’’ The very things we admire about Thibs — his drive, his …

Bulls are crushing opponents, but are they improving?

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:04:42 -0600

The Bulls are good. But are they getting any better beating up on undermanned, basketball-challenged teams? It’s difficult to know for sure after the Bulls routed the 4-22 Hornets 90-67 on Wednesday in New Orleans to become the first team this season to win three consecutive games by 20 points or more. The Bulls have won four straight road games after a 16-point loss to the 76ers last week. But they beat the 11-15 Knicks when Jeremy Lin was out with a severe case of anonymity; the 11-14 Bucks, who were without injured center Andrew Bogut; the 8-19 Nets, who …

Luol Deng named to All-Star team for first time

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 23:23:04 -0600

Luol Deng will be accompanying Derrick Rose to the All-Star Game in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 26. The Bulls forward was named to his first All-Star Game along with Eastern Conference reserves Paul Pierce of the Celtics, Chris Bosh of the Heat, Roy Hibbert of the Pacers, Andre Iguodala of the 76ers, Joe Johnson of the Hawks and former lllini standout and current Nets point guard Deron Williams. Deng, Hibbert and Iguodala will be playing in their first All-Star Game. Rose has been named a starter at guard. Coaches of the teams with the best record in each conference as …

Blackhawks have had litany of missed chances during free-fall

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:58:01 -0600

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It’s a bit unfair to compare the Blackhawks’ season to what happened last year, when they had their roster overhauled after winning the Stanley Cup and had to fight their way back into playoff contention. There are distinct differences, such as their better overall start this year. But there are some similarities that are starting to show up, especially when you look at the Hawks’ six-game skid. “We look at the four games without winning here on this road trip alone, we could have gotten points out of every game,” coach Joel Quenneville said Thursday. “That’s …

Joel Quenneville has chalk talk with Hawks about defense

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 22:57:49 -0600

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Going back to school provided Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville with the perfect venue to demonstrate to his players what they are doing wrong. “We had a perfect theater for a nice session,” Quenneville said Thursday of the longer-than-normal film session at the University of Denver a day earlier. The focus was positioning at both ends of the rink. There are plenty of things to address, whether it’s not having a third player high in the offensive zone, a third caught down low in the defensive zone or how their defensemen react when opponents pinch their blue …