***So Lovie Smith has been swept by the Green Bay Packers for the first time after Sunday’s loss. The Bears got off to a horrible start,but somehow only trailed 13-7 at halftime,and then took a 14-13 lead which had a chance to hold up, but Jay Cutler’s second of two interceptions(by Nick Collins)early in the third,set up Brian Grant’s 1 yard TD plunge. That was the game. Cutler also threw a pick to Charles Woodson which led to three points on a Mason Crosby field goal. That total’s six interceptions that Cutler tossed to the Packers in the two games this season.

***While nobody on the Bears admitted that they were out of the playoff hunt(they were mathematically eliminated Sunday), many all BUT sounded resigned that the season will end after the January 3 game in Detroit(It will).

***Now the question is, what changes will be made if any in the Bears Front Office,the Coaching Staff,and in the roster before this spring’s NFL Draft?

***The Bulls are so bad right now that the highlight of their loss to Boston Saturday was when Brad Miller clocked Rajon Rando just over three minutes into the game to avenge last April’s bloody nose Rando gave Miller in game five of their seven game playoff series.

***Next up are the Lakers Tuesday night who just had their winning streak snapped Saturday by Utah.Good luck!!

***Chalk one up for Kenny Williams and the White Sox who out bid everyone(including the Cubs)for reliever J.J.Putz. Now,if he bounces back from off season elbow surgery,then the Southeasters bullpen should be considerably better this coming season.

***The Cubs are still in a holding pattern until(or if)they unload Milton Bradley who is right now as big of a liability off the field as he was on it.

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Antti Niemi is taking full advantage of his limited time in goal for the Blackhawks.Niemi made 18 saves for his third shutout in seven starts this season, and Marian Hossa had a goal and an assist in the Hawks 4-0 victory against Tampa Bay on Sunday night.Patrick Kane, Ben Eager and Jonathan Toews also scored for the Blackhawks, who have won three of four and improved to 6-1-1 against Eastern Conference teams.Niemi, who made his eighth appearance, has started three times since Nov. 7. He has allowed only one goal, posted two shutouts and stopped 80 shots in those games.The Lightning dropped to 0-3-1 in their past four. Tampa Bay has scored only 13 goals in a 1-6-2 slide.Niemi was busier in his previous two starts, He stopped 30 shots in a 1-0 victory at Vancouver on Nov. 22, and 32 in a 2-1 overtime victory at Pittsburgh on Dec. 5.Kane left the game with 6:59 left in the first period due to a cut above the eye and didn’t return. He landed hard after Tampa Bay’s Matt Smaby tripped him along the boards.Antero Niittymaki stopped 25 shots for the Lightning.In addition to ill-timed defensive breakdowns, the Lightning was doomed by an inability to sustain offensive pressure and generate rebounds.Both teams continued to struggle on the power play. Tampa Bay went 0 for 5 and has failed on 13 consecutive chances. The Hawks went 0 for 7 and has scored on one of its past 19 advantages.Kane scored the lone goal of the first period at 7:42 when his high wrist shot from the right point beat Niittymaki and clanked in off the left post.Hossa had beaten Niittymaki with a close-in move about three minutes earlier, but Smaby swept the puck away as it reached goal line.Niemi made two close-in saves on Tampa Bay’s James Wright 4:15 into the second. About eight minutes into the period, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos hit the post with a shot.Eager made it 2-0 midway through the second when he was left open at the edge of the crease and converted Hossa’s centering pass. The goal was set up when Tampa Bay defensemen Matt Walker and Victor Hedman both committed to Hossa, who dished the puck to Eager from the right corner.Hossa extended the lead to 3-0 with 15.3 seconds left in the period. While skating through the left circle, Hossa pulled Patrick Sharp’s deflected centering pass from the air, dropped it to the ice, and whacked the puck past Niittymaki.Toews made it 4-0 at 6:01 of the third when he chipped in a rebound of Dustin Byfuglien’s shot from the slot.Niittymaki made a pad save on Troy Brouwer’s penalty shot with 1:40 left in the third. Brouwer was awarded the attempt after being pulled down by Hedman.

NOTES—Jordan Hendry

was a healthy scratch…..Actor Jim Belushi dropped the ceremonial first puck….The crowd of 21,081 was the Blackhawks 67th consecutive sellout.

CHAMPAIGN—Sixth man Dominique Keller scored 15 points and forward Mike Davis had 12 Sunday to lead Illinois past Western Michigan, 88-53.Both teams opened cold, shooting a combined 1-for-17 in the game’s first 5:30.But the Illini (8-2) opened up a 16-5 lead with 12:09 left in the first half on three straight baskets by Demetri McCamey, D.J. Richardson and Keller. The Broncos (3-4) never recovered.Illinois’ bench players scored 40 points.If there was a chance for Western Michigan to stay in the game, it came early, when the Illini couldn’t buy a basket and coach Bruce Weber loudly reminded his team often to play controlled and pass the ball around.Illinois didn’t hit a field goal in the first 5:11, going 0-for-9 and limping to a 4-3 lead at the free-throw line.But the Broncos were just as bad.They had one field goal over that stretch. Point guard David Kool – Western Michigan’s leading scorer with 23 points a game – had two points at halftime on 0-for-8 shooting and didn’t score from the field until early in the second half.And after Illinois got its first points from the field – a short basket from Mike Davis that gave the Illini a 6-3 lead – Western Michigan stayed cold. The Broncos were 7-for-34 at halftime and trailed the Illini 48-25.The Illini really came to life after McCamey – who finished with 11 points – scored on a layup on a fast break with 13:34 left in the half for a 10-5 Illini edge.

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EVANSTON—An 11-day layoff didn’t seem to bother Northwestern and it certainly didn’t bother freshman Drew Crawford, who scored a career-high 35 points, including eight 3-pointers, as Northwestern defeated North Carolina A&T 90-65 Sunday.The Wildcats (7-1) won their sixth in a row, and their 20 3-pointers smashed the team record of 15, set in 2007 against Arkansas State.With the score tied at 11-11, NU went on a 12-2 run, as Crawford hit three 3-pointers and Nash one. The Wildcats went 13-of-25 in the first half from behind the arc in taking a 50-37 lead at the break.Crawford had 24 points in the opening half, six on 3-pointers, topping his previous game-best of 22 points against Liberty, and far surpassing his 5.7-point average. He made his second 3-pointer just over six minutes into the game to beat that number.For the game, Crawford was 12-for-17 from the field, 8-for-13 from 3-point range. The Wildcats also set a school record for 3-point attempts with 47. They tried 36 from behind the arc in a 2003 game against Ohio State.Four Northwestern players scored in double figures, as Michael Thompson had 19, freshman Alex Marcotullio 11 and Jeremy Nash 10. Thompson had five 3-pointers, eight assists and five rebounds.Thomas Coleman led the Aggies (4-6) with 16 points, while Robert Johnson and Tavarus Alston had 12 points apiece. It was the first meeting between the schools.

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ROSEMONT—Will Walker scored 18 points and Devin Hill added 12 points and nine rebounds to lead DePaul to a 77-56 victory over UIC on Sunday night. DePaul (6-3) bounced back from a 31-point loss to Mississippi State in the Big East/SEC Invitational on Thursday in Tampa.Leading 29-27 with 4:17 left in the first half, DePaul pulled away by scoring 10 unanswered points to close out the first half. Hill capped the half with a three-point play. Hill led the Blue Demons with 10 points and seven rebounds in the half.Jeremiah Kelly finished with 11 points for DePaul.Robo Kreps led UIC (1-6) with 18 points. He was 4-of-8 in the first half for 11 points.UIC, which trailed by double digits throughout the second half has lost six straight after beating Illinois-Springfield in its opener. Zavion Neely added 15 points for the Flames.Flames center K.C. Robbins was ejected and assessed a flagrant foul late in the first half after he hit DePaul’s Mario Stula with a right forearm that sent Stula to the floor. Stula got up under his own power and came back in the game later in the half.Walker eclipsed the 1,000 career-point milestone with a 3 to put DePaul up 46-29 early in the second half. He became the 45th player in DePaul history with 1,000 or more points.

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NORMAL—Tyrone Lewis scored 26 points Sunday as Niagara handed Illinois State its first loss of the season, 76-68.Kashief Edwards scored 14 points and Austin Cooley 10 for Niagara (7-4), which also won when the teams met last year in Lewiston, N.Y., as part of the BracketBusters event.Dinma Odiakosa led ISU (7-1) with 14 points. Osiris Eldridge scored 12 for the Redbirds, but was 5-for-18 from the field, including 2-for-11 from 3-point range. Illinois State made only five 3-pointers in 23 attempts. Lewis had five of the Purple Eagles’ 10 3-pointers.Jackie Carmichael had 11 points and Kellen Thornton 10 for the Redbirds, who outrebounded Niagara 49-28. Carmichael and Odiakosa each had 13 rebounds.The Redbirds’ last lead was 53-51 after an Eldridge layup with 10:47 to go, then the Purple Eagles began a 12-4 run and controlled the game the rest of the way.

Lovie Smith has now been swept by Green Bay for the first time. Ryan Grant scored two touchdowns, Jay Cutler’s two interceptions led to 11 points, and the Packers beat the NON-Playoff bound Bears 21-14.What a start for the Bears! First on a third and 3, Matt Forte gets creamed by Cullen Jenkins for a 3 yard loss and Brad Maynard punts. Then on the Packers first play from scrimmage, Grant was untouched in running around left end for a 62 yard touchdown. On the Bears next possession, after a false start by Frank Omiyale, Cutler had 21 yard run on a busted play nullified by an Omiyale holding penalty and the Bears in turn again punted. The Packers had to settle for a Mason Crosby 33 yard field goal after moving 48 yards in 12 plays. The Bears did NOT go three and out in their third series.That’s because Cutler threw a pass right into the midsection of Charles Woodson. It was the fifth pick Cutler has thrown against Green Bay this season so far.The Packers faced a fourth and three at the Bears 32,and Mike McCarthy punked the Bears into wasting a time out.Field Goal kicker Crosby flanked to the right with holder and backup QB Matt Flynn in a deep shotgun. The confused Bears called the T.O. Then the Pack went for it,and Aaron Rodgers scrambled for 9 yards and a first down as the first quarter ended. Early in the second period, Crosby booted a 26 yarder to take it 13-0.The Bears finally showed some life late in the half and they went 80 yards in 13 plays. Cutler hit an open Johnny Knox from 19 yards out with 1:48 left in the half.That is the way it was heading into halftime.

The Packers started at their 40 after the second half kickoff by Robbie Gould went out of bounds. Rodgers,on a first down from the Bears 29, bobbled the ball twice before it hit the ground and Anthony Adams recovered at his own 44.The Bears took advantage as Cutler hit Knox for 22 yards to the ten, and Devin Aromashodu(playing in place of the injured Devin Hester)in the end zone to give the home team the lead 14-13.It was Aromashodu’s first NFL TD. The Bears had the ball as the fourth quarter began,but on a third and six, Cutler threw a horrible pass right to Nick Collins at the Bear 42,and he returned it to the Bear 11.Two plays later, Zack Bowman was called for interfering with Donald Driver in the end zone,which set up Grant’s 1 yard score. The Packers also got a two point conversion as Rodgers found Greg Jennings to make it 21-14 GB. The Bears had to punt,but after a Packer drive, Crosby missed a 42 yard field goal. It didn’t matter,as the Packer’s top ranked defense,dug in and the Bears moved a step loser to elimination.

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Paul Pierce insisted the Boston Celtics have their flaws, no matter how hard they are to find these days. Their latest showing was one of their best yet.Rajon Rondo had 16 points and 14 assists, and the Celtics won their 10th straight, beating the struggling Bulls 106-80 on Saturday.Rasheed Wallace and Eddie House scored 15 apiece. Kevin Garnett added 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Pierce scored 14 even though he sustained a stinger on his right shoulder and hit just 4 of 12 shots.Boston scored 10 straight late in the third quarter, making it a 20-point game and sending the Bulls to their 10th loss in 12 games. Derrick Rose scored 19. Luol Deng added 17 but missed 4 of 6 free throws late in the third quarter, and the Bulls capped a particularly brutal seven-day stretch with another blowout loss. They were routed by Toronto and Atlanta and fell to New Jersey in between, and after an overtime win over Golden State on Friday, they watched Boston run away with this one in the second half.The Bulls went the final 6:18 of the third quarter without a field goal and shot 32.6 percent overall. With a 71-61 lead, Pierce hit two free throws to start a 10-0 run that Garnett capped with an alley-oop layup from Rondo with 1:26 left in the quarter.The Bulls hardly resemble the team that pushed Boston to seven games before losing a thrilling first-round playoff series last season, albeit with Garnett sidelined by an injured right knee. Rose and Joakim Noah have questioned the team’s effort and the pressure on coach Vinny Del Negro is mounting.The Celtics, who blew out the Bulls in October, look more like the team that won the championship than the one that struggled to get by the Bulls last season, settling in after a volatile start.Things got testy about 3½ minutes into the game when Brad Miller basically clotheslined a driving Rondo, who gave him a bloody mouth in the playoffs. That delighted the crowd, even if it resulted in a flagrant foul.Rondo said he expected some retribution from Miller, considering his hard foul late in Game 5 of the playoffs left him with a bloody mouth. “I think he tried to go for my face, but he hit me in my nose a bit as well,” Rondo said. Miller said “it’s not really payback, but everybody knows what happened.” He said it was more about a center refusing to let a guard go in for a layup, adding, “You’ve got to win that battle.” While Pierce said Miller’s not a dirty player, Ray Allen “thought it was excessive.”

NOTES—

Boston has not lost since falling 83-78 to Orlando on Nov. 20….The Celtics went from losing a club-record 18 in a row in 2006-07 to winning the championship next year, so it’s no surprise that coach Doc Rivers endorsed Del Negro. “Listen, I believe this will work out for him,” Rivers said. “I know what he can do. I coached against him last year in the playoffs, and I just hope he gets a chance to do it.” For Rivers, it helped that the Celtics landed Garnett and Allen before their championship season. The Bulls have been hit by injuries and lackadaisical play overall…..Rondo was having a little fun at his coach’s expense after Kentucky, his school, beat Indiana on Saturday. Rivers’ son Jeremiah plays for the Hoosiers. “I can’t even tell you how hard Rondo’s been the last three hours,” Doc Rivers said. “That’s all right. I control the minutes.”…..The Bulls go from hosting the Eastern Conference leader to the Western Conference leader when the Los Angeles Lakers visit on Tuesday.

Luol Deng scored 21 points, Joakim Noah finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, and the Bulls beat the Golden State Warriors 96-91 in overtime on Friday night to snap a four-game losing streak.Deng and Derrick Rose had back-to-back baskets to put the Bulls, who never trailed in overtime, up 93-89 with 2:54 left. Deng made another jumper to make it 95-89 with 1:35 left.The Bulls won for just the second time in 11 games, with the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers next on the schedule.Monta Ellis finished with 27 points, six rebounds and five assists for the Warriors, who have lost five of six.Rose turned it over coming off an inbounds play with 29 seconds left in regulation, but Ellis missed a driving layup attempt with 9 seconds remaining to give the Bulls one more chance. Rose missed a 13-footer at the buzzer.Rose finished with 15 and John Salmons had 11 for the Bulls, who got a much-needed win after two straight embarrassing losses to the New Jersey Nets and the Atlanta Hawks.With the Bulls trailing 58-52 midway through the third quarter, Deng scored nine points during a 15-0 run. He made a jumper to give the Bulls a 59-58 lead and later capped off the run with a fadeaway jumper to put the Bulls up 67-58. The lead was quickly erased by the Warriors, who responded with a 12-2 run, highlighted by a drive in the lane by Stephen Curry to give Golden State a 70-69 lead at the end of the third quarter.The Bulls bounced back after a two-point loss Tuesday to New Jersey, which came into the United Center with only one win, then a 118-83 defeat in Atlanta on Wednesday in one of their worst performances of the season.Oak Park’s Corey Maggette had 14 points and 10 rebounds for the Warriors. Anthony Morrow added 12 points.The Warriors led 51-44 at the half. Ellis led the Warriors with 18 points. Brad Miller led the Bulls with 12 points, all coming in the first quarter.

BUFFALO—No Ryan Miller, no problem for the Buffalo Sabres.Backup Patrick Lalime made 39 saves in just his third start of the season in favor of the workhorse Miller, and Thomas Vanek and Clarke MacArthur scored in the Sabres’ 2-1 victory over the his former team, the Blackhawks on Friday.Lalime stopped 17 shots in the first period, and extended Buffalo’s shutout sequence to 139 minutes, 51 seconds before Patrick Sharp tapped in Patrick Kane’s pass at the top of the crease 30 seconds into the third period to make it 2-1.After playing two games for Portland of the AHL last weekend during a conditioning assignment, Lalime earned his first win of the season — and first since March 2009 — by standing strong in the third period when the Blackhawks fired nine straight shots at him to start the frame, and 16 overall.Vanek scored a power-play goal for Buffalo (18-9-2), which won its second straight to finish 3-2 on a five-game homestand. Cristobal Huet made 31 saves for the Blackhawks (19-8-3), who continue to struggle offensively. the Hawks have scored just 11 times in its last seven games despite going 3-3-1 during that span.After a scoreless first period, Vanek opened the scoring with his ninth of the season. After Huet blocked Tim Connolly’s shot, Vanek was able to kick a loose puck to his stick in front of the net before spinning around and whipping it in to make it 1-0.MacArthur pushed Buffalo’s lead to 2-0 with his ninth with 1:21 to go in the second. From the low slot near the bottom of the right circle, MacArthur swatted in Tim Kennedy’s cross-ice pass.

NOTES—Huet played in his 17th game against the Sabres, the most against any opponent in his career. … Buffalo RW Mike Grier missed his third game after his mother passed away. D Chris Butler missed his fourth game because of an ankle injury. … Lalime played two seasons with the Hawks, starting in 2006. …The Blackhawks have’nt won in Buffalo since December 2001. … The Blackhawks dropped to 5-1-1 against Eastern Conference teams. … Sharp scored his 100th goal as a Hawk.

Reliever J.J. Putz agreed Friday to a one-year, $3 million contract with the White Sox and will fill a setup role in the bullpen. Putz is 23-19 with a 3.24 ERA and 103 saves in 337 relief appearances over seven major league seasons with Seattle and the New York Mets.He was 1-4 with a 5.22 ERA with the Mets last season in 29 appearances before undergoing arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur in his right elbow on June 9, causing him to miss the remainder of the season.Putz was an AL All-Star in 2007 when he was 6-1 with a 1.38 ERA and 40 saves. He was traded to the Mets in a three-team deal in December of 2008.He will serve as a setup man, along with lefty Matt Thornton, for Bobby Jenks. The White Sox had an opening in their bullpen after not re-signing free agent Octavio Dotel.Putz can made an additional $250,000 based on appearances: $125,000 each for 60 and 70 games. He has $3 million in available bonuses based on games finished: $450,000 for 40, $525,000 for 45, $600,000 for 50, $675,000 for 55 and $750,000 for 60.During their offseason, the White Sox have now traded for Mark Teahen, added Putz, shortstop Omar Vizquel and outfielder Andruw Jones, and re-signed utility man Mark Kotsay.

***About a year ago, Jim Hendry signed up Milton Bradley to an overpriced Cubs contract. Bradley had a horrible season,was a big distraction,and was suspended for the last two weeks of the season. Now,they can’t unload him without simply releasing him,which they have said they will not. Great! Is there a chance that the Cubs will consider bring Bradley to Spring Training? If so,then lets call the 2010 season off for the Northsiders! His (former?)teammates want no part of him,and Cub fans will not tolerate seeing Milton Bradley in a Cub uniform again this season.

***So much for the Cubs getting Curtis Granderson from Detroit,not that the Yankees acquired the former UIC Flame.

***The White Sox were just as quite as the Cubs at the Winter Meetings in Indy.

***Is the Bulls current season over yet? My goodness,the way they are playing right now reminds one of the horrible teams they had between 1998-99 and 2003-04(all non playoff seasons).Why am I convinced that the Bulls will do no better in this huge free agent crop next summer than they did in 2000 when Jerry Krause couldn’t get any decent free agents and had to settle for Ron Mercer,whom everyone knew was going to be a bust(and he was).

***Arena Football is coming back in 2010, reorganized as Arena Football 1. The Chicago Rush will be part of the 15 team League, Mike Hohensee will be back as Rush Head Coach, and Jerry Kurz,who was involved with the early days of Arena Football(in the late 80’s)will be the Commissioner. The Rush will continue to play at Allstate Arena in Rosemont which will be a busy venue this summer wince the Chicago Sky is moving it’s home games there from the UIC Pavilion.

***Nice High School Basketball double header Friday night on WWME-TV(Channel 23, or Comcast 223). Evanston faces arch rival New Trier in a Boys and Girls twin bill at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston. I’ll be doing a between games feature which includes out “WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT” weekly staple.

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Once Dustin Byfuglien started up ice, the 6-4, 257-pound Blackhawks’ winger kept accelerating. He raced past defenseman Matt Gilroy, got an angle to the net and then beat goalie Henrik Lundqvist.Byfuglien’s goal 3:43 into overtime Wednesday night gave the Hawks another dramatic victory, 2-1 over the New York Rangers. The Blackhawks have won 3 of 4 — with all three victories coming after regulation.After Duncan Keith blocked a shot attempt by the Rangers’ Vinny Prospal, the puck went ahead to Byfuglien and he looked line a runaway linebacker.The Blackhawks tied the game with 5:55 left in regulation on a power play — their fifth of the game — when Jonathan Toews chipped in a goal after a scrum in front of the net as the Hawks finally got one past Lundqvist, who finished with a season-high 39 saves.Christopher Higgins scored for Rangers in the first period and it appeared Lundqvist would shut out the Blackhawks who improved to 19-7-3. The Rangers lost for the fifth time in six games, but no fault of Lundqvist’s.Marian Gaborik, the leading goal scorer in the NHL entering the game, made a nice pass from the right circle to Higgins in the left circle and he fired a hard wrist shot past Cristobal Huet, staking the Rangers to a 1-0 lead in the first.Lundqvist made a nice save in the second period on Toews after he broke free from the right circle. Minutes later, he stopped a hard shot by Andrew Ladd from right in front. He then turned away four shot attempts on a power play and snuffed a close-range shot from Marian Hossa with 36 seconds to go in the second.A high-sticking penalty on New York’s Michal Rozsival with about 10 minutes left in regulation gave the Blackhawks their fourth power play, but again they couldn’t convert as a long attempt by Brian Campbell was deflected, hit the crossbar and came down.The Blackhawks peppered Lundqvist with 30 shots in the first two periods, while Huet faced just 15.Huet finished with 17 saves.

NOTES—The Blackhawks are at Buffalo Friday night…..Wade Redden returned for the Rangers after missing five games because of a shoulder injury. LW Donald Brashear, out two games with a hand and wrist injury, was also back for New York…..The assist gave Gaborik 39 points. He entered the game two behind Joe Thornton for the league lead.