MAGAZINE

WEEK 51WWW.LMDMAG.COM DECEMBER 2018

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On one blissful Sunday afternoon at Soldier Field, the Bears accomplished more than most outside Halas Hall ever dreamed was possible before the start of the 2018 season. With an inspiring 24-17 win over the Packers, the Bears (10-4) clinched the NFC North title, earned a playoff berth for the first time since 2010, snapped an eight-game home losing streak to Green Bay and eliminated the Packers (5-8-1) from playoff contention. They also avenged a 24-23 loss to Green Bay in the season opener at Lambeau Field, a game in which the Bears failed to protect a 20-0 third-quarter lead. "It's a humbling experience for all of us," said coach Matt Nagy. "We talked about finishing all week—finish, finish, fin-ish. We had a very similar situation as we did the first week and we were able to finish the game." Mitchell Trubisky rebounded from a sub-par performance in last Sunday night's win over the Rams, completing 20 of 28 passes for 235 yards with two touchdowns, no interceptions and a 120.4 passer rating. Defensively, the Bears allowed just one touchdown, sacked Aaron Rodgers five times and continued to excel in "quick change" situations. After the Bears lost a fumble with the score tied 14-14 early in the fourth quarter, the defense fol-lowed with two three-and-outs and an interception in the end zone by Eddie Jackson. "It's just a mindset and all the guys being on the same page, understanding the situation," said Khalil Mack, who recorded 2.5 sacks. "We want to make the most of it and be dominating in those situations, knowing that those things are going to happen throughout the game. It's our job to be ready for the adversity." The Bears took a 21-14 lead on Trubisky's 13-yard TD strike to Trey Burton with 10:16 left in the fourth quarter and Cody Parkey added a 24-yard field goal with 6:43 to play. The Packers closed the gap to 24-17 on Mason Crosby's 45-yard field goal with :11 remaining. But Allen Robinson II recovered Crosby's ensuing onside kick to ice the win. "I'm really happy for this organization," said corner-back Prince Amukamara. "The McCaskeys are prob-ably so excited. They are going to have an even better Christmas. This was for the fans, this was for the orga-nization, and we are glad that we were able to do it." The Bears took a 7-0 lead on Jordan Howard's 9-yard touchdown run late in the first quarter. On the TD drive, Howard rushed for 22 yards on five carries and caught a 15-yard pass. Trubisky completed 4 of 4 passes for 38 yards to four different receivers. After Crosby's 41-yard field goal drew the Packers to within 7-3 midway through the second quarter, the Bears wid-ened the margin to 14-3 on Tarik Cohen's 12-yard touchdown reception from Trubisky with :30 left in the half. Cohen caught the ball in the right flat and beat safety Kentrell Brice to the corner of the end zone. Cohen's TD came after Leonard Floyd had stopped running back Jamaal Williams for a two-yard gain on third-and-three, forcing the Packers to punt after a three-and-out. Floyd also recorded two sacks of Rodgers in the game. The Bears defense held the Packers to 122 yards on 27 plays in the first half, extending the unit's streak without allow-ing a touchdown to seven quarters. But Green Bay scored 11 points on its first two possessions of the second half, tying the score 14-14. First, Crosby's 43-yard field goal made it 14-6. The kick came one play after Sherrick McManis broke up a long pass intended for Randall Cobb. The Packers tied the game on Williams' 10-yard touchdown run coupled with Rodgers' two-point conversion pass to Davante Adams with 4:10 left in the third quarter. The Bears were in position to snap the deadlock early in the fourth quarter. But on third-and-one from the Green Bay 23, Cohen took a direct snap and fumbled as he tried to hand off to Howard. Packers defensive end Dean Lowry recov-ered the ball at the 26. The defense held and the offense scored 10 points, enabling the Bears to beat the Packers in Chicago for the first time since Sept. 27, 2010. "It's a blessing," Floyd said. "We've been working so hard [since] this offseason to win the North and today we went out and finished the drill."

CREDIT: Larry Mayer BEARS SENIOR WRITER https://www.chicagobears.com/news/game-recap-bears-clinch-nfc-north-title-with-win-over-packersmichael-parkhursts-1830968474

Bears clinch NFC North title with win over Packers

BULLS ERASE 21 POINT DEFICIT TO BEAT THE SPURS, 98-93Sometimes you've been wondering lately with the Bulls what's the point with the coaching shakeup, player uneasiness, losses in multiple countries and in 10 of the last 11 games. But Saturday in the Bulls impressive comeback 98-93 win over the San Antonio Spurs, the Bulls may have gotten a lot closer to knowing who is the point.

Because it was Kris Dunn back starting for the first time since his early season knee injury with a team high 24 points including the Bulls' last six of the game that improb-ably rallied the Bulls from a 21-point third quarter deficit.

With Zach LaVine back in Chicago treating an ankle injury and Jabari Parker out of the playing rotation, Lauri Markkanen added 23 points, Ryan Arcidiacono had 12 and Robin Lopez 10 off the bench. Bobby Portis had nine points, including a runner to give the Bulls a 92-91 lead with 1:39 remaining. It was the Bulls first lead since two minutes into the game. Portis then blocked a Rudy Gay drive on a second chance before Dunn added a floater with 38.8 seconds left for a 94-91 Bulls lead.

DeMar DeRozan with 21 points then scored a baseline reverse on a sweet out of bounds play. The Bulls called time with 23.3 seconds left and 17 on the shot clock. Dunn then hit yet another pullup, elbow jumper for a 96-93 Bulls lead with 8.3 seconds left, Dunn then gesturing boldly and shouting toward the stands and Spurs bench area. Dunn rebounded a missed Spurs three and was fouled for a pair of free throws to assure the most unlikely of victories.

"He (Dunn) has proven last year and then tonight that he can close," said Bulls coach Jim Boylen. "That's important

when you can find a closer. I also thought Lauri was back to himself. He had his legs underneath him, he made some plays off the bounce, he made threes (three of eight), he made a turnaround shot (to tie at 90 with 2:13 left), he made a post move and I am thankful he is feeling better. It looked like he was stronger tonight. "He has toughness," Boylen added about Dunn. "He was a football player, which I love. I was a football player. He's competitive, he likes playing on the road. He wants to be great. He's learning how to close. This was a good win for us." Pretty much any win would be with the Bulls going to 7-23. The Spurs led by LaMarcus Aldridge with 29 points and 12 rebounds, though just eight points in the second half, had their four-game winning streak stopped and dropped back to 15-15. It was a superior defensive effort for the Bulls after a weak first half, trailing 62-43 as the Spurs shot 59 percent. But with early an third quarter disruption inspired by back to back Dunn steals, the Bulls with deflections, overplaying, active trapping help and a presence in the passing lanes forced the Spurs into turnovers in four of their first five second half possessions. That stalled a precision Spurs offense. Then led by Dunn with 10 third quarter points in a variety of drives and mid range jumpers, the Bulls hit the Spurs with an 18-4 run and were back in the game.

"He has proven last year and then tonight that he can close. That's important when you can find a closer." Coach Boylen on Kris Dunn It was 78-74 San Antonio after three quarters, but it was the Bulls who looked like the veteran team this time down the stretch. "We've just got to finish games," said Dunn. "Even when we were injured between me, Lauri, Bobby, they were in games early in the season and we just have to finish. "Tonight was one of the times when we finished the game." And that was behind the play of Dunn, whose injuries and inconsistencies have led to questions about whether the Bulls have or need a point guard. As the Bulls attempt to develop a core roster, the belief has been they have a shooting guard in LaVine, power forward in Markkanen and center in Wendell Carter Jr., the latter who still is struggling with fouls and had eight points and two rebounds. Point guard is perhaps the most important position in the NBA these days, but the Bulls have been unable to make a judgment on Dunn with his many absences. Then he came back tentative from injury, though just in two games, and some wondered if Boylen was testing or challenging him by using him as a reserve. Arcidiacono despite his relentless hustle, had not been shooting or scoring well lately. But he remained in the starting lineup with Dunn opening with him. The front court was the same, and it was clear Boylen was employing the players who he believed would defend the most and best.

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Thus Shaquille Harrison, who hasn't made a shot in two games, was early off the bench with Lopez. Often, the Bulls had lineups with barely one or two natural scor-ers. And Justin Holiday was off, making just one of 12 shots. Though Markkanen was more active than he has been as Boylen put in more move-ment and post plays for him. "I just tried to be aggressive," said Markkanen, who joined the group rebounding effort with seven that effectively matched the Spurs total. "I know I haven't been playing at my own level lately, so I know at the same time it takes time to get back. But I feel I am kind of getting my legs back; obviously, it's easier to drive when you feel quicker. "It shows a lot of heart from the team to climb back," added Markkanen. "Obviously, it takes a lot of energy to dig yourselves a hole and then we've got to climb back up, but it just shows what we can do. If we play like that as a team, we have a chance to beat anybody." Dunn, for his part, generally is oblique when he speaks with media and is quick to defer credit. Which is something of a point guard trait, to set up others. Dunn isn't a high assist player, and defenses play off him since he doesn't shoot threes well. He came up about three feet short on one. But he's much improved from last season as a finisher at the basket and has an uncanny ability to come off a screen and find a shot in the lane.

Plus, he's a relentless defender and playing with Arcidiacono the Bulls vastly cut down on their turnovers with just nine in the game for 10 Spurs points. Especially with LaVine out, perhaps for a week or more as he will be evaluated this week and Parker maybe on the way out, Dunn and Markkanen will be relied upon to score consistently. Though Boylen's style seems obviously to play slower, keeping the team in games with defense and then trying to squeeze out a game down the stretch. "It shows a lot of heart from the team to climb back." Lauri Markkanen

Dunn had a series of strong finishes when the Bulls win 10 of 12 this time last year, and he had a good start Saturday of beginning to repeat that. "I thought we fought well," said Dunn. "We kept guarding the second half and executed in the fourth quarter. It shows what we are capable of. Wendell, Rolo, they set great screens and a lot of us could make plays. I think multiple people hit big time shots tonight, Bobby's floater toward the end of the game was a big time shot, Lauri, his fadeaway was a big time shot, Arch with his three (to get within 89-88 with 3:30 left) was a big time shot. Justin had a three pointer in the corner where he got fouled and he hit his free throws (with 6:17 left). I think everybody just made great plays. "My team believes in me and it was a great team win," said the rangy 6-4 guard. "But I think we have multiple guys with that (tough) mentality. Bobby, Shaq, Justin, he has it too. He's just not as vocal as me and Bobby when it comes to it, but he's one of our best defenders. Wendell's got it, too. He made some big plays on the defensive end. It was a great team win to get that monkey off our back." It's been, obviously, a difficult time for the team and players, and it looked more of the same with that first half and the Spurs scoring first to open the second half. But Boylen stayed with his group, and the Bulls responded this time. "I give Chicago a lot of credit," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. "Coach Boylen had them ready and the character and fortitude they showed being down at half by 19, or whatever it was, is a real tribute to what they are trying to establish in Chicago. Their defense took us out of things. We turned it over because of their pressure. The ball stopped moving, and at the right time they started making some shots down the stretch, which is always helpful. They deserve a lot of credit and that's a real tough loss for us."

Which is the real point. It was the other guy pointing to the deficiencies this time.

CREDIT: Sam Smith https://www.nba.com/bulls/bulls-erase-21-point-deficit-beat-spurs-98-93

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The Chicago Fire’s first player acquisition for the 2019 season was announced on Sunday afternoon, when forward Fa-bian Herbers was added to the attack via a trade with the Philadelphia Union.

With a fresh opportunity in front of him, the 25-year-old is looking forward to the new challenge that the move to the Windy City presents.

“The change really excites me,” Herbers said. “To meet new people, a new city, and having a fresh start with the fans will be very exciting.”

Per MLS roster rules, Herbers was set to be eligible for the 2019 Re-Entry Draft after having his option declined by the Union following the 2018 season. Fire President and General Manager Nelson Rodríguez made the move to send a natural second round pick in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft to acquire Herbers’ rights ahead of the Re-Entry Draft and avoid the risk of losing his services to another team.

“When I heard that Philly wasn’t extending my option, I was working stuff out with my agent,” Herbers said. “Chicago seemed to be interested. My agent talked with Nelson. He was following me since college and since the last three years that I’ve been playing at Philly. We were going to wait for the re-entry draft, but my agent made a deal work and I’m very happy about that.”

Herbers appeared 53 times for the Union after being selected sixth overall out of Creighton in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, and has featured an additional 23 times for Union USL affiliate Bethlehem Steel. The Ahaus, Germany native will now look to bring versatil-ity and a willingness to help create to the Fire attack-ing unit.

“I’m good with the ball, trying to make forward passes and combine with players,” Herbers said. “But also off the ball, I try to move into the right gaps and I try to get myself in position to score. Once I am in position to score or give an assist, I usually perform and have the right execution in that regard. I just hope to execute that as well with the Fire in the attack.”

Herbers enjoyed a breakout rookie season in 2016, appearing 32 times for the Union and chipping in three goals and a team-leading seven assists in MLS play. He appeared set to cement his role on the Union wing during his sophomore season in 2017, only to have his progress set back by injuries that eventually required surgery for a sports hernia. Herbers found himself in the rotation for head coach Jim Curtin in 2018, but would spend time with both the Union and the Steel as the season progressed.

“What I learned in that process is to be patient,” Herbers said. “Always train hard and wait for your opportunity. Once it comes, you’ve got to be there and you’ve got to step up for it. I think I did that in Philadelphia. I think the coaches and the club appreciated that of me because I always put in 100%.”

Herbers molded his game in Germany growing up, plying his trade for VfL Rhede at the youth level before making the

Fabian Herbers relishes new opportunity with Fire following trade from Philadelphia

jump stateside to Creighton University. Given his heritage, it’s no secret that – among all of his soon-to-be-teammates – there’s a notable Fire figure he’s excited to link up with. “My biggest memory of him was actually the World Cup in 2014 when he lifted it,” Herbers said of fellow German Bastian Schweinsteiger. “He had an amazing performance in the final against Argentina in 2014. I vividly remember it. I was watching at home in Germany with all my friends. I was still in college. We were celebrating so hard. He was a hero, because he sacrificed so much to be in that final. He was the MVP of the final I thought.”

“Now, to be able to play with him on the same team is obviously great. He’s a great leader and I hope I can learn a lot from him and hope we can help the Fire succeed together.”

Herbers is currently traveling in Bali ahead of his arrival in Chicago for preseason in January. Looking ahead to the new opportunity in front of him, Herbers is eager to make a difference on the field for his new side.

“I want to show that in Chicago I’m all in for the Club and for my teammates and I’ll try to do my best to get a result every time.”

CREDIT: CHICAGO FIRE SOCCER CLUB

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