Matt Carlson, Author at The Rapid City Post

United center employees clean the court during a delay before an NBA basketball game against the Miami Heat in Chicago, Thursday, Jan. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Heat-Bulls game at the United Center postponed due to condensation on the court

January 8, 2026

The game between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on Thursday was postponed after a nearly two-hour delay due to condensation on the court. The officials cited “court conditions” for the delay in starting the contest. There appeared to be moisture on the floor at the United Center, which is also home to the Chicago Blackhawks, who played Wednesday and will skate at the arena again Friday. Workers tried to dry the surface using mops and towels. The game was officially postponed at 8:53 p.m., prompting boos from the crowd. A rescheduled date for the game was not immediately announced.

Chicago Bulls forward Matas Buzelis, right, gestures after making a 3-point basket over Orlando Magic guard Anthony Black, left, during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, Jan. 2, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Buzelis scores 21 points, Huerter adds 20 as Bulls beat Magic 121-114 for 2nd straight win

January 2, 2026

Matas Buzelis scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half, Kevin Huerter added 20 points, and the Chicago Bulls rallied to beat the Orlando Magic 121-114 on Friday night.Buzelis hit a pair of free throws with 22.8 seconds left to make 119-114, then pulled in his ninth rebound to send in Isaac Okoro for a game-sealing dunk with 4 seconds remaining. Buzelis also finished with a season-high seven assists. Nikola Vucevic added 17 points and 10 rebounds and Ayo Dosumnu had 17 points as Chicago outscored Orlando 30-19 in the fourth quarter to climb back to .500. (17-17). Paolo Banchero scored 31 points and Anthony Black added 18 for the Magic in a game with 19 lead changes.

Chicago Bulls' Isaac Okoro (35) celebrates with teammate Kevin Huerter (13) during the final seconds of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans, Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Okoro’s season-high 24 points lead short-handed Bulls past Pelicans 134-118

December 31, 2025

Isaac Okoro scored a season-high 24 points, Tre Jones added 20 points and 12 assists and the depleted Chicago Bulls topped the New Orleans Pelicans 134-118. Matas Buzelis had 19 points, Jalen Smith had 14 points and 14 rebounds, and Nikola Vucevic had 17 points for a Chicago team playing without its top two scorers in Josh Giddey and Coby White, who were injured in a loss to Minnesota on Monday. Zion Williamson led New Orleans with 31 points and Jordan Poole added 26 off the bench in the team’s fifth straight loss.

FILE - Japan's Munetaka Murakami rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the second inning of a World Baseball Classic game against the U.S., March 21, 2023, in Miami. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier, file)

White Sox expect Japanese slugger Munetaka Murakami to make quick impact and put up big numbers

December 22, 2025

Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz calls Munetaka Murakami “one of the most prolific power hitters on the planet” and expects the 25-year-old Japanese slugger to make an immediate impact on his rebuilding team next season. The White Sox and Murakami agreed to a $34 million, two-year contract on Sunday. On Monday, Murakami signed the deal as he was introduced to the media at Rate Field. Murakami has a .270 career average with 246 homers and 647 RBIs in 892 games over eight seasons with the Yakult Swallows of Japan’s Central League.

Anaheim Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, center top, yells to his players during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Quenneville returns to face Blackhawks for 1st time since being banned after sexual assault scandal

October 19, 2025

First-year Anaheim Ducks coach Joel Quenneville returned to the United Center on Sunday night for the first time since details of a sexual assault scandal involving his 2010 Stanley Cup Blackhawks squad were published in October 2021. The 67-year-old Quenneville has the Ducks off to a 2-2-1 start almost four years after he was forced to resign as coach of the Florida Panthers. He was banned from the NHL for nearly three years. Chicago won 2-1 on Ryan Donato’s overtime goal.

Chicago Cubs' Jameson Taillon throws during the first inning of Game 3 of a National League wild card baseball game against the San Diego Padres Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)

Cubs once again turn to Jameson Taillon to avoid postseason elimination

October 7, 2025

For the second time in a week, the Chicago Cubs play a win-or-go-home game, this time against the Milwaukee Brewers in Game 3 in their best-of-five NL Division Series. Once again, the Cubs will turn to Jameson Taillon on Wednesday. Taillon tossed four scoreless, two-hit innings against the San Diego Padres last Thursday and Chicago went on to take the deciding Game 3 of their Wild Card Series 3-1. This time, the Cubs need to prevail in three straight elimination contests to keep their season alive. The Brewers have a 2-0 lead in the series following 9-3 and 7-3 wins in Milwaukee.

Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Cade Horton throws against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning of a baseball game Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

Cubs rookie Cade Horton doesn’t mind early hook, even with a no-hitter going

September 3, 2025

Chicago Cubs rookie starter Cade Horton has been almost unhittable since the All-Star break. In fact, for the first five innings against Atlanta on Wednesday night, the 24-year-old right-hander didn’t allow any hits at all to the Braves. But then came manager Craig Counsell’s hard stop. Once he reached 75 pitches, Horton got the hook. Never mind that he issued just one walk on 10 pitches to Matt Olson — the second batter of the game — and then retired 14 in a row. Ben Brown entered to start the sixth and kept Chicago’s no-hit bid going until Ozzie Albies lined a single leading off the seventh. That sparked a rally that led to Atlanta’s 5-1 win.

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Rich Hill throws against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning of a baseball game in Chicago, Tuesday, July 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Rich Hill becomes oldest player in majors at 45 with start against Cubs

July 22, 2025

Kansas City’s Rich Hill seemed a bit rusty in his return to the majors as baseball’s oldest active player. His Royals teammates didn’t make the 45-year-old left-hander’s start against the Cubs any easier. Hill gave up three runs and six hits over five innings in his first major league appearance since last September with Boston. He threw 90 pitches (55 strikes), walking two and striking out one. He left with Chicago leading 3-0. Hill’s start at Wrigley Field marked the debut of his 21st season in the majors and his first with Kansas City. The Royals are his 14th major league team, matching Edwin Jackson’s record. Hill became the oldest player to start a major league game since May 27, 2012, when lefty Jamie Moyer tossed his final game with Colorado at age 49.

Chicago Cubs' Michael Busch runs the bases and gestures after hitting a two-run home run against the St. Louis Cardinals during the third inning of a baseball game, Friday, July 4, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Cubs break franchise record with 8 home runs, 3 by Michael Busch

July 4, 2025

Michael Busch and the Chicago Cubs turned their holiday into a home run. Eight of them, to be exact. Busch hit three longballs, Pete Crow-Armstrong connected twice and the Cubs went deep a franchise-record eight times to hammer the St. Louis Cardinals 11-3 for their fourth straight victory. The fireworks started long before sunset in front of 40,038 fans at Wrigley Field. Busch went 4 for 4 with five RBIs in his first career three-homer performance and second multihomer game. The eight longballs allowed by St. Louis also broke a club mark.

Busch hits 3 homers and Cubs set club record with 8 in 11-3 rout of Cardinals

July 4, 2025

Michael Busch hit three home runs, Pete Crow-Armstrong connected twice and the Chicago Cubs went deep a franchise-record eight times in pounding the St. Louis Cardinals 11-3 for their fourth straight victory. Busch finished 4 for 4 with five RBIs. Crow-Armstrong also went 4 for 4 and Dansby Swanson launched a two-run homer during a Cubs power barrage that had the crowd of 40,038 at Wrigley Field roaring. Seiya Suzuki and Carson Kelly added solo shots as the NL Central leaders hit six homers in the first three innings off Miles Mikolas, a record for most home runs off a Cardinals pitcher in one game. The eight longballs allowed by St. Louis also broke a club mark.

Chicago Cubs pitcher Shota Imanaga signs autographs before a baseball game against the Colorado Rockies Monday, May 26, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/David Banks)

Lefty Shota Imanaga will rejoin the Cubs next week in St. Louis

June 21, 2025

Left-hander Shota Imanaga will rejoin the Chicago Cubs early next week in St. Louis following a sharp Triple-A rehab start on Friday. Manager Craig Counsell wasn’t sure when Imanaga would be slotted into Chicago’s rotation, but he said before Saturday’s game against Seattle that the 31-year-old “is gonna make his next start in the big leagues.” Imanaga, who went 15-3 with a 2.91 ERA as a rookie last season, is coming back from a left hamstring strain. He got hurt covering first base during a May 4 loss at Milwaukee. He is 3-2 with a 2.82 ERA in eight starts for the Cubs this season.

FILE - Chicago Cubs' Sammy Sosa (21) and San Diego Padres catcher Phil Nevin watch Sosa's game-winning three-run homer with one out in the ninth on June 2, 1999 in Chicago. (AP Photo/Stephen J. Carrera, File)

Cubs legend Sammy Sosa returns to Wrigley Field after 20-plus-year hiatus

June 20, 2025

Legendary Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in more than 20 years before Chicago’s game with the Seattle Mariners. Sosa is set to be inducted into the Cubs’ team Hall of Fame this year. He arrived Friday at the iconic North Side ballpark in a black SUV. He was greeted with a hug from owner Tom Ricketts as he exited the vehicle. Sosa was a headliner in a generation of baseball’s biggest names linked to performance-enhancing drugs. He appeared to acknowledge using PEDs in December when he released a statement saying he was sorry for mistakes, without specifying them.

Raleigh homers twice, breaks Bench’s record in the Mariners’ 9-4 victory over the Cubs

June 20, 2025

Cal Raleigh broke Johnny Bench’s record for home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break, hitting his major league-leading 28th and 29th in the Seattle Mariners’ 9-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Friday. Raleigh broke a tie in the seventh with No. 29 to move ahead of Hall of Famer Bench’s 1970 mark. Raleigh had three hits in his sixth multi-homer game of the season. Mitch Garver also homered twice and drove in five runs, putting it away with a three-run shot in the ninth. The teams combined for six homers with the wind blowing out on a warm day when former Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa returned to Wrigley Field for the first time in over 20 years.

Matt Carlson.