SID's JOTTINGS

• If Vikings defensive end Everson Griffen plays Sunday, he will be playing through a serious shoulder injury that certainly will handicap his tackling. In addition, safety defensive tackle Linval Joseph remains slowed by a foot injury and also is questionable, and then both safety Harrison Smith (left knee and hamstring) and linebacker Anthony Barr (groin and hand) were ruled out Friday. Those names take a lot out of the effectiveness of the defense and give the Bears a chance to score an upset. Speaking of the line, the Vikings are a 5½-point favorite. According to Jimmy Shapiro of Las Vegas, the Vikings have won their past 13 games when they are favored over NFC North foes.

• Entering the 2015-16 season there have been 32 players in NBA history who averaged at least 15.0 points in their age 19 or 20 seasons, with the most recent example being Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins last season. The only team to have two players accomplish that feat in the same season was Oklahoma City in 2008-09 with Kevin Durant (25.3 ppg) and Russell Westbrook (15.3 ppg). But the Wolves have two players in Wiggins (21.3 ppg) and Karl-Anthony Towns (15.4), and another just below the mark in Zach LaVine (14.8).

• Going into Saturday night's game at Santa Cruz, Wolves point guard Tyus Jones had averaged 23.6 points, 5.0 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in five games for Idaho of the NBA Development League. The Apple Valley product is shooting 48.5 percent from the floor and 42.1 percent from three-point range, and he was attempting 7.6 threes per game.

• Also playing in the D-League is former Gophers center Ralph Sampson III, who entered Saturday averaging 2.7 points per game in limited minutes for Maine.