DeMar DeRozan continues historic tear for Bulls, plus MLB and MLBPA are running out of time

Getty Images

Happy Friday everyone! Congrats on closing out another week.

Let's get right to it.

This is the article version of the CBS Sports HQ AM morning newsletter. To sign up and get this in your inbox, fill out the information below.

Good morning to everyone but especially to...

DeMAR DeROZAN AND THE CHICAGO BULLS

The Chicago Bulls opened their post-All-Star Break slate the same way they spent much of their season before the break: winning thanks to the heroics of DeMar DeRozan. The star swingman knocked down the go-ahead jumper while being fouled with 15.1 seconds left last night as the Bulls beat the Hawks, 112-108.

DeRozan's numbers this season are mind-boggling:

Eight straight games with at least 35 points on 50% shooting -- good for the longest streak in NBA history.
NBA-best 455 points in the fourth quarter this season (Giannis Antetokounmpo is next at... 400.)
56/42/86 shooting splits in the fourth quarter this season -- no one has done that since at least 2002-03 (minimum 200 shots taken in fourth quarter).

The Bulls -- despite injury after injury -- lead the Eastern Conference thanks to DeRozan's consistent excellence, writes our NBA expert Sam Quinn.

Quinn: "So long as the Bulls can keep the game close for 43 minutes, DeRozan has proven capable of winning it for them in the last five. Once his teammates return and he has a healthy roster, he'll make them one of the hardest outs in the playoff field when the postseason finally arrives."

DeRozan opened the season +20000 (yes, twenty-thousand) to win MVP, the same odds as Ben Simmons(!!!) as well as fellow Bulls teammates Nikola Vucevic and Lonzo Ball. As of last night, DeRozan was at +1600, fifth-shortest in the entire NBA. He has been a pleasant surprise for one of the league's most pleasantly surprising teams -- one that just continues to rack up wins.

Honorable mentions

Last night's big college basketball winners: No. 22 Ohio State (at No. 15 Illinois) and Oregon (over No. 12 UCLA)
Paige Bueckers returns tonight for UConn.
Check out this crazy 23-leg parlay that netted $532,000 off a $1.10 bet.

And not such a good morning for...

MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL

Sigh. This was supposed to be the week. Five full days of negotiations between Major League Baseball and the players' union and, somehow, some way, a new collective bargaining agreement that would ensure the regular season would start on time.

But here we are at the end of the week, and little progress has been made. In fact, Thursday's negotiation session may have made things even worse.

"Perhaps the biggest news was that the owners seemed wholly unimpressed or even angry, based upon sourcing from many different reporters at the meeting site (one report said the owners claim to 'have run out of ideas.')"

Many issues remain. Among them are:

Service time manipulation (when teams keep MLB-ready prospects in the minors in order to control their rights for longer)
Tanking (the players have proposed a draft lottery to dissuade it)
Minimum salaries (players want more money here, especially for younger players)
Arbitration and money for a proposed pre-arbitration pool (explained here)
Minor League rosters (players want larger rosters and a limit on how often players can be sent down)
Competitive Balance Tax (explained here)

MLB has said that Opening Day will be pushed back and games will be lost if there's no agreement by Monday. Today marks the 86th day of the lockout, the second-longest work stoppage in baseball history, behind the 1994-95 players' strike (232 days). I wish I could say there's an end in sight.

Aaron Rodgers to make decision 'soon' as teams extend offers 🏈

The wait for the answer to one of the offseason's biggest questions is nearly over. Aaron Rodgers' decision on whether he will return to Green Bay, ask to be traded or retire will be made "soon."

While there have been plenty of positive reports regarding his relationship with Green Bay this offseason, Rodgers is not exactly the easiest person to read -- check out his latest cryptic Instagram post if you need more proof -- and opposing teams have reportedly extended trade offers to the Packers should the back-to-back reigning MVP become available.

Now, where could Rodgers land if he leaves Green Bay? NFL expert Cody Benjamin has ranked 11 possible options, which you can view here.

Harden makes 76ers debut tonight. What should we expect? 🏀

It's been over two weeks, but the 76ers are finally going to see their two superstars in action together: James Harden will make his team debut tonight against the Timberwolves.

How Harden and Joel Embiid fit together tops NBA guru Brad Botkin's 10 most intriguing storylines for the remainder of the season:

Botkin: "Embiid has never had an elite playmaking point guard. Now he does. The 76ers don't project as the same kind of defensive threat in the postseason without Simmons, but they'll be far more formidable offensively. ... Seeing how Harden meshes with Embiid, who wants the ball in the post often, will be important to watch over these next 24 games for the Sixers, as will how Harden looks altogether."

I also really enjoyed James Herbert's breakdown of how Doc Rivers could split up his superstar duo's minutes.

Ranking the top title contenders in college basketball 🏆

Every year, the NCAA Tournament lives up to its "March Madness" nickname with upsets and clutch shots galore.

By the time the calendar turns to April and we reach the title game, though, it's usually a little more straightforward. An astounding 30 of the last 32 champions have been top-three seeds (thanks, 2014 UConn and 1997 Arizona, for being the exceptions). Generally speaking, that means we should have a pretty good idea of the top title contenders at this point, especially after looking at Jerry Palm's latest Bracketology.

College basketball expert Kyle Boone broke down Palm's top 12 seeds and ranked them in terms of likelihood to win the title. Gonzaga tops the list, but Boone's second favorite may surprise some:

Boone: "2. Purdue -- Full disclosure here: I'm biased when it comes to Purdue futures. I picked this team in the preseason as my champion and I'm enamored by the skill set of superstar sophomore Jaden Ivey, who ranks No. 1 on my Big Board for 2022. That said, it's hard not to like the upside and potential of a team that ranks No. 1 in adjusted offensive efficiency at KenPom.com, while possessing incredible talent in the frontcourt with Zach Edey and Trevion Williams to complement what Ivey brings to the table in the backcourt. Even as iffy as the defense is at times -- and it's plenty iffy -- the Boilermakers' could easily run the table in March."

The Boilermakers will make you pull your hair out as you fill out your bracket, and Boone nailed the reasons why. Their highs are dazzling. Their lows are confounding. But because that offense is so good, they provide strong value as a championship pick. Here are the current odds:

Gonzaga +425
Kentucky +800
Arizona +850
Purdue +1000
Auburn +1000

Previewing the MLS season: Expert picks for golden boot, breakout candidates and more ⚽

The 2022 Major League Soccer season opens this weekend with all 28 teams in action. Our team of soccer reporters has done an awesome job getting us ready with team-by-team outlooks for both conferences:

Our experts have also made their picks for end-of-the-year awards and superlatives, and Thomas Rongen has a familiar face winning Golden Boot:

Rongen: "Chicharito edges out another Mexican, Carlos Vela, for my pick here. Hernandez will benefit from Douglas Costa, who's the ideal man to create chances for him. Expect Chicharito back at his very best."

What we're watching this weekend 📺

Friday

🏀 Heat at Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 10 Indiana at No. 13 Maryland, 8 p.m. on BTN
🏀 Clippers at Lakers, 10 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday

🏀 No. 6 Kentucky at No. 18 Arkansas, 2 p.m. on CBS
🏀 No. 3 Auburn at No. 17 Tennessee, 4 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 5 Kansas at No. 10 Baylor, 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Nets at Bucks, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
🏀 No. 1 Gonzaga at No. 23 Saint Mary's, 10 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday

🏀 No. 4 Louisville at No. 14 Notre Dame, Noon on ESPN2
🏀 SMU at No. 14 Houston, 12:30 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 No. 15 Illinois at Michigan, 2 p.m. on CBS
🏒 Rangers at Penguins, 3 p.m. on ABC
🏒 Lightning at Predators, 7:30 p.m. on TNT