BOSTON—The Boston Celtics played without new addition Al Horford for the first time this season on Wednesday night.Thanks to Isaiah Thomas and Amir Johnson, they didn’t miss a beat.Thomas had 23 points and 10 assists, Johnson finished 23 points – including a career-high four 3-pointers – and the Boston Celtics handed the Bulls their first loss of the season, 107-100.Boston avenged its lone setback of the season despite being without Horford, who was placed in the concussion protocol Tuesday after exhibiting concussive symptoms during practice.Johnson was active from all over the court, scoring 16 points in the third quarter. The Bulls managed just 18 points in the period, their lowest scoring quarter of the season.

”I just made the first one and my confidence got a little higher,” Johnson said of his 3-point performance. ”When I knocked down the fourth one, I don’t even think I even saw the basket.”

The Bulls cut into what had been a 16-point Boston lead in the fourth quarter and tied it at 100 on two free throws by Nikola Mirotic. But Boston regained the lead 101-100, then went up five on a driving layup by Thomas and a basket by Marcus Smart.Jimmy Butler led the Bulls with 23 points and nine rebounds.Before Wednesday Johnson had never made more than two 3-pointers in a game and had never attempted more than four. He entered the night 0 for 1 on the season.Boston led by as many as 14 points in the first half, but took only a two-point lead into halftime.After a slow start, Jae Crowder scored eight straight points during a 21-4 Boston run. The Bulls stayed in it via a few mini spurts, including an 8-0 run by Butler.But Crowder will join Horford on the injured list after he left in the second quarter with a left ankle sprain. Coach Brad Stevens said he doesn’t expect Crowder back ”any time soon.” Michael Carter-Williams (left knee bruise, left wrist sprain) and Doug McDermott both sat out. Coach Fred Hoiberg said McDermott felt good, but that he hadn’t gone 24 hours without experiencing symptoms yet.

”We fought our way back in the second quarter to get back in it. (Johnson) had a hell of a third quarter. I like the fight in this team. We gave ourselves a chance to win.” – Dwyane Wade on the Bulls’ second-half effort.

The Bulls outrebounded the Celtics 49-39 but they had 19 turnovers that led to 18 Boston points.The Celtics’ 36 points in the first quarter were the most in a period for Boston this season. Its previous high was 33.Hoiberg said he thinks former Bulls guard Derrick Rose to get a good reception when he returns to the United Center later this week. ”I think he should be received well,” Hoiberg said. ”Derrick did a lot of good things for the city and for the franchise. I think he’ll be received very well.”

The Bulls host the Knicks on Friday night in Rose’s and Joakim Noah’s first game back in Chicago since leaving for New York this offseason.

Patrick Kane was terrific, and Corey Crawford had another solid performance for the Blackhawks.Oh, and the Cubs beat the Cleveland Indians in Game 6 of the World Series.

”Sure is a good day for the city of Chicago,” Blackhawks forward Tyler Motte said.

Kane had a goal and two assists, and the Blackhawks beat the Calgary Flames 5-1 on Tuesday night for their third straight win. Then there was another loud cheer in the nearly empty United Center as fans in the private boxes and bars celebrated the final out of the Cubs’ 9-3 victory in Cleveland.The Blackhawks know a little something about success, winning the Stanley Cup three times since 2010, and they seem to be enjoying the Cubs’ run. Moments after the Blackhawks’ victory, coach Joel Quenneville was already looking forward to Game 7 of the World Series on Wednesday night.

”It’s going to be a fun day for Chicago tomorrow,” he said. ”Biggest game maybe in the whole history of Chicago sports.”

Kane scored his third of the season on a dazzling play in the first, and then set up Artem Anisimov’s tiebreaking power-play goal at 7:44 of the third. Anisimov extended his career-best point streak to eight games with his team-best seventh goal of the season.With Sam Bennett in the penalty box for tripping, Kane made a perfect pass to Anisimov in front for the redirect. Motte added his third of the season on an impressive rush, making it 3-1 at 12:44, and Kane assisted on Artemi Panarin’s sliding empty-netter with 3:01 left.

”For us, it’s probably as ugly a 5-1 win is gonna get for our team,” Kane said. ”Still can be better.”

Crawford finished with 33 saves after posting his first shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday.

”I’m feeling better and better every game, feeling quicker out there,” Crawford said.

Michael Frolik scored a short-handed goal for Calgary, which beat Chicago 3-2 on Kris Versteeg’s goal in the seventh round of a shootout on Oct. 24. Brian Elliott finished with 17 stops in the opener of a four-game road trip.

”I think those first two were two of the best periods we played this year,” Frolik said. ”It’s just that second goal kind of, they get the momentum and we opened the game and they finished us.”

The crowd of 21,166 seemed to go back and forth from the action in Cleveland to the Blackhawks’ fourth win in five games. About 20 minutes before the puck dropped, there was a roar in the concourse when Kris Bryant homered to give the Cubs an early lead.There were more cheers and high-fives with about 4:15 left in the first, celebrating Addison Russell’s grand slam.Then Kane gave the crowd something to cheer about on the ice. The reigning NHL MVP skated around Calgary defenseman TJ Brodie, and then away from Deryk Engelland and Mikael Backlund before beating Elliott low on the glove side for a 1-0 lead at 18:58.

”It was a big turn of events after one, and we got better as the game progressed,” Quenneville said.

The Hawks had a chance to add to their advantage when Calgary was whistled for too many men on the ice in the second, but Backlund made a great pass to Frolik for a tying tap-in goal at 7:06.It was still tied before the Blackhawks scored four times in the third, helped by another solid performance by Anisimov. The Russian center, off to a fast start, also got an assist on Niklas Hjalmarsson’s second of the season at 18:16.

NOTES—Blackhawks D Gustav Forsling returned to the lineup after missing two games with an upper-body injury. D Michal Kempny was among the scratches after playing in each of the previous two games. … The Hawks killed each of Calgary’s four power-play opportunities. It has killed nine in a row overall after an awful start to the season. … The Flames scratched C Freddie Hamilton and Ds Nicklas Grossman and Brett Kulak….The Blackhawks host Colorado on Thursday night.

DEKALB—Joel Bouagnon set a career-high with five rushing touchdowns and Northern Illinois beat Bowling Green 45-20 on Tuesday night in a rematch of the last three Mid-American Conference championship games.Northern Illinois (3-6, 3-2) took a 7-0 lead on its first possession after Bouagnon scored on a 14-yard run. He added a short scoring run on the Huskies’ second drive and Christian Hagan kicked a 41-yard field goal early in the second quarter for a 17-7 lead.Northern Illinois safety Jackson Abresch intercepted a pass on a Bowling Green fake punt and Bouagnon capped a 24-yard drive with a 2-yard TD to make it 31-13. Bouagnon also had a 15-yard touchdown late in the third and a 6-yarder with 1:40 left.Bouagnon carried it 26 times for 134 yards and Anthony Maddie added 93 yards and one touchdown for NIU, which gained 286 yards on the ground.James Morgan threw for 224 yards and three touchdowns, including Teo Redding’s one-handed catch in the end zone, for Bowling Green (1-8, 0-5). The Huskies host Toledo at newly named Guarenteed Rate Field(formerly U.S.Cellular Field)nwxt Wednesday night.

Jay Cutler’s halftime speech – yup, that Jay Cutler – helped the Bears turn a strong start into one surprising victory.Cutler threw for 252 yards and a touchdown after missing five games with a thumb injury, rookie Jordan Howard ran for a career-high 153 yards and a TD, and the Bears beat the Minnesota Vikings 20-10 on Monday night.The Bears (2-6) sacked Sam Bradford five times while handing NFC North-leading Minnesota (5-2) its second straight loss.Cutler was on target in his return from a sprained right thumb, and Howard easily surpassed his previous high of 118 yards. Alshon Jeffery got his first touchdown reception of the season while helping the Bears outgain Minnesota 403 yards to 258.

”I think it was more fun just to watch my teammates and see how hard they played and how well they played,” Cutler said. ”One win coming into this one, they had a lot of outside noise.”

Cutler has faced criticism for his body language and leadership skills throughout his time in Chicago, but Jeffery said the quarterback told his teammates to ”keep our pedal to the metal” at halftime.

”Everyone in there is from different backgrounds and different cultures, societies,” Cutler said. ”Whatever it takes to find the inspiration – because motivation usually wears off at some point during the game. Those guys played inspired football.”

Minnesota’s performance was far from inspired.

”We’re a good team,” guard Brandon Fusco said. ”It’s not us. It’s not Viking football. That’s what is frustrating, we’re such a good team. What we’re putting out on the field is not us. We have to watch the film and get better from this.”

Cutler had not played since he left the second game of the season against Philadelphia. But with his future up in the air after coach John Fox wavered in his commitment to him as the starter, he made a triumphant return.Cutler completed 20 of 31 passes, including an 11-yard touchdown to Jeffery early in the third that made it 20-3. Whether he quieted fans who thought the Bears were better off with Brian Hoyer is another issue. But that became a moot point when Hoyer broke his left arm last week in a Thursday night loss at Green Bay.Howard had a 69-yard run, the longest for the Bears in seven years. Zach Miller added 88 yards receiving as the Bears stopped a three-game losing streak.Bradford, playing behind a porous line, had another rough game after getting sacked six times the previous week against Philadelphia. He was 23 of 37 for 228 yards.Matt Asiata ran for 42 yards with Jerick McKinnon sidelined by an ankle injury.With a sparse and quiet crowd looking on, the Bears led 13-3 at halftime. It was almost a bigger advantage, but Chicago settled for field goals on its first two trips inside the 20.Howard, a fifth-round draft pick, broke off a 69-yard run to the 13 on Chicago’s first possession. It was the longest rushing play for the Bears since Kahlil Bell’s 72-yarder against Philadelphia on Nov. 22, 2009. But instead of a touchdown, the Bears got a field goal from Connor Barth.Fox denied a report of discord between the coaching staff and front office and that the organization has brought in an outside consultant to examine the football operation.

”There’s no truth to that. This is as unified of an organization and football te