Chicago's Alternative Sports

Ben Simmons scored 32 points and making a pair of free throws with 5.6 seconds left in the game, lifted the 76ers out of a five point deficit. Philadelphia beat the Bulls last night 116-115. Joel Embiid ended the game with 30 points and 13 rebounds. Simmons added eleven assists and seven rebounds. The Bulls dropped two games in a row now.   The Blackhawks are playing host to San Jose tonight. Chicago has won two out of the last eleven games.   Carsen Edwards had a career high of 40 points. Number 9 Purdue beat Illinois 93-86 Thursday night. SIU closes out the regular season tomorrow night at Evansville.   The Cubs take on the Brewers and the White Sox are facing the Dodgers today in the first spring training games.

The Blackhawks win 3-2 over Ottawa last night. Nick Schmaltz had the deciding goal in the seventh round of the shoot out. It was Chicago’s second win in the past eleven games. It was also a milestone game for Coach Quenneville who was behind the bench for his sixteen hundredth game. The Blackhawks and the Senators are both way out playoff contention heading into the NHL’s trade deadline this coming Monday. Chicago will host San Jose on Friday.   The Cubs are gearing up for this coming Friday’s game against the Brewers in the Cactus League. Left hander Michael Roth will be starting the pitching lineup.   The Bulls get back to action tonight after the All-Star break. Chicago is sitting at twelfth in the Eastern Conference. Philadelphia is visiting the Bulls tonight.

The Blackhawks are playing host to the Senators tonight. Chicago has won one game out of their last ten. They are thirteen points away from the wildcard slot in the western division. Chicago is ten points away from the Colorado Avalanche.   The Chicago Bulls are going with youth for the rest of the season. Jerian Grant won’t be part of the Bulls rotation moving forward. Bulls executive vice president John Paxson was clear stating that the Bulls are committed to playing their younger players for the rest of the season. Cameron Payne will be replacing Grant to be back up to Kris Dunn at point guard.   The Czech Republic eliminated the US from men’s hockey last night with a 3-2 win in the quarter finals. Lindsey Vonn is taking the bronze home in women’s downhill skiing.   Spring Training is officially underway. The Cubs are playing against the Brewers this Friday while the White Sox are taking on the Dodgers the same day.

Torrey Mitchell and Andy Andreoff scored during LA’s dominate first period helping the Kings beat the Blackhawks 3-1 last night. Chicago suffered it’s ninth loss in ten games. Anton Forsberg made 29 stops in this loss dropping the Blackhawks to 25-27-8 overall. Patrick Sharp scored Chicago’s only goal.   Anthony Rizzo is back with the Cubs after spending time at home in Florida. He was there supporting victims, at his former high school from the Valentines Day deadly shooting. He spoke at a vigil for victims as well. He was a former baseball star there but also played football. Rizzo donated one hundred and fifty thousand dollars to his alma mater in November.

Adam Henrique snapped the tie with a goal late in the third period as the Anaheim Ducks handed the Blackhawks their eighth consecutive loss, it was a 3-2 final score last night. Brandon Saad and Duncan Keith scored the two goals for Chicago and 29 saves in net for Anton Forsberg.   NBA All-Star festivities getting underway in Los Angeles tonight. Lauri Markkanen is representing the Bulls in the rising stars game tonight, he will also take part in tomorrow’s skill challenge.   Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo has left Spring training to travel to Florida. He will be visiting Douglas High School his former high school where the tragic shooting happened Wednesday. He was a baseball star but he also played football there. His former football coach Aaron Feis was shot several times as he shielded students from gun fire.

Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and 10 assists, Serge Ibaka also scored 20 points as the Raptors sailed into the All-Star break with their seventh straight win. The 122-98 win over the Bulls last night had Chicago reeling when Lowry hit four three pointers and Ibaka each had 7 rebounds. Bobby Portis had 18 points for Chicago while Lauri Markkanen added 14 points. The Bulls were outmatched by the Eastern Conference leaders even though Kris Dunn was back in the lineup. Dunn had 8 points and 3 assists in twenty minutes.   White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia has won his arbitration case, he will be awarded 6.7 million instead of the White Sox original offer of 5.85 million.   Tonight the Blackhawks are playing host to the Anaheim Ducks. Chicago has dropped five games in a row. Currently they sit twelve points from a wildcard birth in the Western Conference. Chicago has waived Jeff Glass and will probably bring Jean-Francois Berube from Rockford.

The Golden Knights defeated the Blackhawks 5-2 on Tuesday night just after the night before when the Coyotes snapped an nine game losing streak against Chicago on Monday. The Western Conference leading Golden Knights sent Chicago home with their seventh consecutive loss. The Blackhawks have been out scored 29-12 in this losing skid. Alex DeBrincat and Tommy Wingels scored Chicago’s two goals and Jeff Glass made 32 saves.   Yu Darvish and the Chicago Cubs have finalized a six year 126 million dollar deal. Darvish joins a lineup that includes Kyle Hendricks, John Lester, Jose Quintana, and Tyler Chatwood. The four time all-star is expected to take the rotation of Jake Arrieta who is now a free agent.   The Bulls host the Toronto Raptors tonight. Chicago is 20-36 overall going into this game.

Lauri Markkanen scored 21 points for Chicago whe  the Bulls beat the magic 105-101 last night. Chicago blew an 18 point lead in the fourth yet still came away with a win after losing seven games straight. Zach LaVine had 18 points and 7 rebounds. Guard Kris Dunn missed his eleventh game and coach Hoiberg doesn’t know if he’ll be ready to play Toronto this Wednesday.   Max Domi, Clayton Keller, Alex Goligoski, and Tobias Rieder each had a goal and an assist when the Coyotes pounded the Blackhawks 6-1 Monday night. Arizona end their nine game losing streak while Chicago now has a season high of six consecutive losses. Alex DeBrincat scored his twentieth goal of his rookie season.   Spring training getting underway this week. Most pitchers and catchers getting a work out on Valentines Day, the full squad will be on the field on the 19th.  

The Bulls are home tonight hosting the Orlando Magic. Chicago is 19-36 overall, they have dropped eight of their last ten games. The Bulls are not bad at home though, they are 12-15 this season.   Brandon Saad is in the longest single season goal drought of his career. Saad has gone fourteen games without a goal for the Blackhawks. He got off to a great start this season, but at this point his thirteen goals, twenty four points in fifty four games pales in comparison to Artemi Panarin, the player that Chicago traded to Columbus for Saad. Tonight the Blackhawks visit Phoenix to take on the Coyotes trying to snap a five game skid. Corey Crawford is traveling to Arizona with the team but will not be on the ice.

Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg has said on Wednesday that Kris Dunn is still a ways away from getting back on the court. Dunn was able to practice with the G league Tuesday. Lauri Markkanen is to return tonight against the Timberwolves.   Yolmer Sanchez has beaten the White Sox in salary arbitration. He gates a raise from $546,000 last season to 2.35 million this year. The team had originally offered him 2.1 million. Sanchez set a career best last year with a 267 average, 12 homeruns, and 59 RBIs along with a 319 on base percentage.   The Blackhawks host Dallas tonight. Chicago is trying to snap a three game losing skid and the Stars have won three in row.

Michael Stone scored with 3:30 left on a shot that appeared to be tipped by Johnny Gaudreau when the Flames beat the Blackhawks 3-2 on Tuesday night. Dougie Hamilton and Sean Monahan also scored for Calgary. Mike Smith had 34 saves in net for the Flames. Alex DeBrincat and Patrick Kane had goals for Chicago, they’ve dropped to 24-21-8 overall. They’ve now lost three in a row even though Jeff Glass finished with 20 saves in net. The Blackhawks are hosting the Dallas Stars on Thursday.   The Chicago Bulls are gearing up for a couple of home games this weekend. They are hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves this Friday then welcome the Washington Wizards this Saturday night. Kris Dunn is still on the mend from his injury but is looking to return to the court this weekend.

Bogdan Bogdanovic made a tie breaking three pointer in the last 52 seconds of the game helping the Kings rally to beat the Bulls 104-98 last night. The Kings scored just 9 points in the first quarter, trailed as many as 21 points and were down by 7 points but rallied to complete a season sweep of Chicago. Zach LaVine had 27 points, Justin Holiday added 20 points for the Bulls, but they’ve lost seven games in a row now. Robin Lopez was ejected from the game after back to back technical fouls. He tossed a chair after being told to leave after the second quarter. Lauri Markkanen was out this game due to the birth of his child, Kris Dunn is showing improvement from his injury he suffered in January and hopefully will be on the court soon.   The Blackhawks host the Calgary Flames tonight at the United Center. Rookie Jeff Glass is scheduled to be in the net tonight.

The Chicago Bulls are looking to snap a six game losing skid tonight when they face the Sacramento Kings. Chicago is 18-34 over all going into tonight’s game. Lauri Markkanen is continuing his personal leave due a birth of a child. With the NBA trade deadline approaching it seems that Robin Lopez is on the block. No big surprise as that every veteran on the Bulls is fair game. Reports also say that Chicago will wave Tony Allen if he is not traded and that Jameer Nelson’s future is also up in the air.   Chicago Blackhawk's goalie Corey Crawford had an on ice workout on Saturday night after being out for many weeks due to an upper body injury. He last played on December 25, his return to the lineup is still iffy. Chicago has lost two in a row and will host the Calgary Flames tomorrow night. Over all the Blackhawks record is 24-20-8 and sit at the bottom of the central division.

The Chicago Bulls have traded Nikola Mirotic to the Pelicans in return for Omer Asik. The deal comes a week after DeMarcus Cousins of New Orleans, injured his achilles. Mirotic averaged 17 points a game and also had locker room troubles at the beginning of the season with Bobby Portis.   The Chicago Bears guard Kyle Long indicated on twitter that he has completed his final off season surgery. He posted that he is on the mend and his hopeful for a return.   The Vancouver Canucks beat the Blackhawks last night 4-2. Chicago is visiting the Calgary Flames tomorrow evening.

C. J. McCollum scored a franchise record of 28 points in the first quarter and finished with a career best of 50 points after sitting on the bench for the fourth quarter. The Trail Blazers took care of the short handed Bulls 124-108. Zach LaVine had a season best with 23 points. Chicago has lost five games in a row now. The Bulls decided to sit forward Nikola Mirotic who is seeking a trade. Head coach Fred Hoiberg said he stayed back at the hotel. Kris Dunn is still out due to his injury earlier in the season. The Bulls will visit the Clippers Saturday night at the Staples Center.   The Blackhawks visit the Vancouver Canucks tonight. Blackhawks have won two in a row but are trying to dig out of the bottom of the NHL’s Central Division. Chicago is realistically chasing a wild card slot. With 55 points they are only 4 points away from the Minnesota Wild in the final spot.

Anton Forsberg made had his career’s best last night with 42 saves in net helping the Blackhawks win over the Predators 2-1. Chicago is last in the division and need a great finish to make it to the playoffs. Vinnie Hinostroza had a goal and an assist, David Kampf also had a goal for Chicago.   Kris Dunn remains out with a concussion and now won’t travel to Portland for tonight’s game. Lauri Markkanen is out due to personal reasons. Nikola Mirotic will travel with team despite battling a leg injury. The Bulls have an 18-32 record on the season going into this game.

The Chicago Bulls still don’t have a timeline on when guard Kris Dunn will be returning but he will be with the team on their upcoming road trip. Chicago visits the Blazers tomorrow night. Nikola Mirotic has a leg strain and the Bulls are keeping a cautious eye on his progress.   The Blackhawks have Anton Forsberg in the net tonight when they face the Predators. Forsberg was in the net when Chicago topped the Red Wings 5-2 before the all-star break and he is 4-7-3 this season. Corey Crawford will not be traveling with the team to Nashville but possible for later this week. Coach Quenneville says he will be returning to the ice this season.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points for the Bucks as they topped the Bulls 110-96 yesterday afternoon. The all star forward added 8 assists and 9 rebounds to help the Bucks improve to 3-0 since Joe Prunty took over the head coach position after Jason Kidd left the team. Khris Middleton had 20 points and 7 rebounds while Jason Terry came off the bench to score a season high 12 points. Denzel Valentine scored 18 points for the Bulls and Lauri Markkanen had 17 points. Chicago does not have a timeline on the return of Kris Dunn. The Bulls are visiting Portland this Wednesday.   The Pacific Division won the NHL’s all-star game. Duck’s forward Rickard Rakell scored twice as the Pacific defeated the Atlantic Division 5-2 in the final. The regular season resumes for the Chicago Blackhawks when they face Nashville on Tuesday.

The Chicago Blackhawks losing skid is over. Rookie Alex DeBrincat had his second hat trick of the season as they topped the Red Wings 5-1. Anthony Duclair had a goal and 2 assists as the Blackhawks were building a 3-0 lead in the first nine minutes.   The Lakers visit the Bulls tonight. LA has won seven out of their ten games including three in a row. Chicago has lost two in a row now and 18-30 on the season overall.   The Chicago Cubs have invited Chris Gimenez to their major league camp. Manager Joe Maddon and Gimenez both were on the Tampa Bay Rays in 2012 and 2013.

The 76ers won for the seventh time in ten games, Ben Simmons with his fifth triple double of the season in a 115-101 victory over the Bulls. Simmons had 19 points, 17 rebounds and 14 assists helping Philly to a record of 23-21 overall this season. Bobby Portis lead the Bulls with 22 points and Zach LaVine had 21 points. Chicago has lost two in a row and is 18-30 overall.   William Nylander with the penalty shot goal six seconds into overtime lifting the Leafs to a 3-2 win over the Blackhawks. Chicago has lost three in a row but they’ll attempt to right the ship tonight in Detroit when they face the Red Wings