Bears’ Fields hopes to take on Big Blue
Bears quarterback Justin Fields was feeling good enough to practice Wednesday after missing a game because of an ankle injury.
Whether the rookie will be ready to start when the Giants visit Soldier Field on Sunday was unclear. The Bears will monitor how he feels before deciding whether they will go with Fields, backup Andy Dalton or Nick Foles.
“He wants to be out there for his teammates, he wants to be out there to be able to help every way he can to help us continue to finish the season strong,” coach Matt Nagy said.
“Getting those reps has been really good for him, which I think is great. He’s grown in a lot of different ways. Every rep he can get at this point, with how it has gone on in this season will be valuable for him for the rest of his career.”
Fields did not play in the win at Seattle after hurting himself in a Monday night loss to Minnesota in Week 15. With Dalton sidelined because of a groin injury, Foles led the Bears (5-10) to a 25-24 comeback victory over the Seahawks. The Super Bowl 52 MVP threw for 250 yards and a touchdown to Jimmy Graham with a minute remaining that led to a winning 2-point conversion pass to Damiere Byrd.
Though the Bears had all three quarterbacks available Wednesday, Foles was the only one not coming back from an injury. Fields was limited and Dalton was a full participant.
RUBIO OUT FOR SEASON
Ricky Rubio helped the Cavaliers return to relevance. Now, he’s got to make another comeback of his own.
The veteran guard, who has been instrumental in Cleveland’s turnaround, is done for the season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on Tuesday night — the same injury that ended his rookie season in 2012.
Rubio’s loss is a devastating blow to the Cavs, who have jumped into playoff contention after going 22-50 last season. Cleveland is 20-14 and fifth in the Eastern Conference.
The team said an MRI taken Wednesday confirmed the torn ACL, which was feared after Rubio got hurt late in Tuesday’s 108-104 loss at New Orleans.
TERPS TAKE PINSTRIPE
Tarheeb Still returned a punt 92 yards for a touchdown, Taulia Tagovailoa threw touchdown passes of 70 and 32 yards to Darryl Jones, and the sudden scores sparked
Maryland to a 54-10 rout of Virginia Tech in the Pinstripe Bowl at Yankee Stadium.
The game belonged to Tagovailoa, an Alabama transfer and younger brother of Dolphins QB Tua Tagovailoa. He threw for 265 yards and the two TD passes brought his season total to 26, which tied Maryland’s single-season record.
The game’s MVP, Tagovailoa helped the Terrapins (7-6) get the better of the Hokies at The
Stadium — and even on TV.
Brent Pry was hired last month as Virginia Tech’s coach — J.C. Price served as interim coach — and went on ESPN during the game to hype the 2022 season. Pry boasted, “We are gonna play a great brand of defense. ” Seconds later, Tagovailoa connected with Jones for the deep play and a 14-3 lead. Pry was good-naturedly roasted on social media, and Maryland even tweeted the clip with a grimacing face emoji.
HEAT-SPURS POSTPONED
The NBA postponed Wednesday’s game between Miami and San Antonio after a combination of injuries and positive COVID-19 tests left the Heat unable to meet the league’s requirement of eight available players.
It was the 10th game postponed in the NBA this season because of virus-related issues. None have been rescheduled at this point.
Miami had 12 players listed as out for the game against the Spurs for a variety of reasons. The Heat beat Washington on Tuesday night with eight players — and of those, only five would have been able to play Wednesday in San Antonio.
CANDACE NAMED TOP FEMALE ATHLETE
Candace Parker wrestled with the decision to make a huge change in her life and leave Los Angeles — where she had played her entire WNBA career — and head home to Chicago. In the end, the appeal of a homecoming was too much for Parker to ignore, and it couldn’t have worked out better.
The 35-year-old Parker staved off Father Time to help the Chicago Sky win the franchise’s first WNBA title and capped off 2021 by being named AP Female Athlete of the Year for a second time.
PROVIDENCE TOPS HALL
Noah Horchler scored 17 points with 13 rebounds, and Nate Watson added 14 points to carry host Providence to a 70-65 victory over shorthanded, 15th-ranked Seton Hall on Wednesday night.
Playing its first game since a victory over Rutgers on Dec. 12, Seton Hall dressed only eight players. Five were in COVID-19 protocols, but only one starter, 7-foot-2 center Ike Obiagu, was out.