The Houston Rockets have had players donning a total of 52 different jersey numbers (and have one not part of any numerical series for Houston assistant coach and general manager Carroll Dawson) since their founding at the start of the 1967-68 season, worn by just under 500 players in the course of Rockets history.

To honor all of the players who wore those numbers over the decades, Rockets Wire is covering the entire history of jersey numbers and the players who wore them since the founding of the team all those years ago right up to the present day.

With seven of those jerseys now retired to honor some of the greatest Rockets of all time to wear those jerseys, there is a lot of history to cover.

And for today’s article, we will continue with the seventh of 21 who wore the No. 10, forward alum David Wood. After ending his college career at Nevada, Wood went unselected in the 1987 NBA Draft, playing in other leagues until he signed with the Chicago Bulls in 1988.

The Spokane, Washington native played the first seasons of his NBA career with Chicago. He also played in other leagues before he signed with the Houston Rockets in 1990. His stay with the team lasted until he was dealt to the San Antonio Spurs in 1992.

During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Wood wore only jersey No. 10 and put up 5.3 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets jersey history No. 10 – David Wood (1990-92)

Bayern Munich overcame two equalizers to secure a 3-2 advantage from the first leg of its UEFA Women’s Champions League quarterfinals bout with Manchester United.

The presumptive German champions were unfazed by going on the road to Old Trafford and stunned the hosts with a goal after just about 90 seconds courtesy of Pernille Harder, via an excellent long-range pass from Arianna Caruso. The ball looped over the shoulder of United captain Maya Le Tissier and Harder ran onto it, nutmegging the United center-back and flummoxing keeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce with her clever shot.

That would be Bayern’s only real chance of the first half, however, and United managed to strike back. Hinata Miyazawa threaded in Lea Schüller, whose smart inside run took out four Bayern players dragged out wide as she barreled into the box. The ex-Bayern striker took on the shot at a tight angle, but the block — from Bayern defender Glódís Perla Viggósdóttir — was a handball. Le Tissier promptly stepped up and converted from the spot.

For a while the match then settled into a stalemate, both sides squandering what opportunities came their way, and the scoreline stood at 1-1 heading into the break.

Enter Momoko Tanikawa. Like her Japanese international teammate Miyazawa on the other side of the pitch, Tanikawa is freshly returned from the AFC Women’s Asian Cup, where Japan lifted the trophy after triumphing over Australia in the Final. Tanikawa was introduced at the hour mark, and wasted little time taking over the game.

In the 72nd minute, Tanikawa found Harder with a perfect slicing pass through the lines to send the Dane on her way to a brace. After United equalized just five minutes later, it was up to Tanikawa again to find another moment of magic for her side…and find it she did, first setting up Franziska Kett with another excellent long-range pass and then arriving just outside the box to collect the return, set her feet, and laser it into the back of the net.

It was a moment of stupendous quality, set up by Tanikawa’s first touch, which teed up the shot more perfectly and faster than anyone on United was ready for. Teammate Vanessa Gilles knew what was coming, too, raising her arms in celebration before the shot had even come off.

This was a blow that United could not come back from in time for the full-time whistle, but the scoreline remains tight at 3-2. Bayern will take the result but know that the gap could have been wider, and that hard work remains to be done next week in Munich. Yet it was the Bavarians that delivered the more composed, more complete, and more mature performance today on the road — and they will undoubtedly be the favorites to advance to the semis.

If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…

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“Oooh yeah!” You didn’t know where  “Macho Man” Randy Savage or Bret “The Hitman” Hart was coming from. But what you did know was that you were entertained on where it could lead to. While many have put these two men on the Mount Rushmore of “the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be” in professional wrestling, it seems what one had the other lacked or wasn’t able to obtain during their in-ring tenure, according Eric Bischoff, who was fortunate enough to work with both men during the height of their careers in WCW.

“I don’t think Randy had that quality that the audience would have embraced as a long-term megastar, a Rock, a John Cena, an Undertaker, [Hulk] Hogan, [Ric] Flair,” the WWE Hall of Famer described on his “83 Weeks” podcast. “It had nothing to do with talent. He was amazing. He was so unique. He was so gifted in so many ways. But there was that something that was missing. Don’t know what it is.”

As for the Canadian dynasty, Bischoff noted that Hart was a top choice for many wrestlers to work with because of his professionalism and how devoted he was to the unwritten rule of protecting your opponents throughout a match. However, he believes the former five-time WWE and two-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion lacked an indescribable presence, presumably, the entertainment aspect that Savage had.

“Bret Hart was so good from a technical perspective,” Bischoff praised. “Bret was just not born with that one thing that kind of put you into that star category. You can call it charisma. You can call it whatever you want. It’s a presence. You either have that presence or you don’t.”

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “83 Weeks with Eric Bischoff” and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Read more: WCW Stars You Might Not Know Have Died

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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.

Alexia Putellas insisted that Barcelona “always strive for excellence” and revealed the areas “we need to improve on” after picking up a monumental victory against Real Madrid in the first leg of the UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-finals.

A dominant display from Pere Romeu’s side at the Estadio Alfredo di Stéfano on Wednesday saw Barça emerge with a 6-2 win, which they will seek to defend next Thursday at the Spotify Camp Nou.

Given the ongoing renovation works at the stadium, Barcelona will not be able to replicate the 91,553-strong crowd that witnessed their comeback victory against Real Madrid at this stage of the competition four years ago, but as first reported by SPORT, club sources indicate that more than 35,000 tickets have already been sold.

Putellas was named as the Player of the Match by UEFA’s Technical Observer Group, who noted that the 32-year-old “played excellently, controlling the game, finding spaces to receive and making penetrative runs beyond that stretched the opposition. Her movement took her all across the pitch, creating chances at every opportunity.”

Speaking to 3Cat after the match, Putellas was quick to insist that despite the scoreline, there is still work to do and that Barça must not become complacent ahead of next week’s decisive second leg.

“It’s a 180-minute tie, so we’ve got 90 minutes left,” she explained.

“We’ve done a great job and we’re really happy. We always strive for excellence and we’re looking forward to the match at the Spotify Camp Nou with our fans.

“Who wouldn’t want a full Camp Nou? We’ll go out to win for our fans and to give our all for this badge.”

The blaugrana needed just six minutes to open the scoring in the Spanish capital on Wednesday, and Putellas reflected that “in these knockout ties, the sooner you get ahead, the more it can mentally unsettle the other team.

“It was tricky to control Real Madrid’s transitions,” she conceded, “and those are areas we need to work on, but we’re on a very positive path and we’re raring to go.”

The majority of Barcelona’s players are off with their international teams currently, playing in friendlies ahead of World Cup 2026 this summer.

However, it’s a different story for Robert Lewandowski and Roony Bardghji who are still hoping to claim spots at the tournament in the USA, Mexico and Canada.

Both players will be involved in semi-finals play-offs this week and could potentially meet next week in a game which will decide who gets one of the last remaining spots at the World Cup.

Poland take on Albania in Warsaw on Thursday night and will look to Lewandowski to provide the goals to fire them to the World Cup.

Lewandowski has 88 goals in 163 appearances for the national team and is already their all-time leading goalscorer.

Roony Bardghji is also in action on Thursday night as Sweden face Ukraine.

If the Barca duo both taste victory then they will meet on Thursday night with just one spot at World Cup 2026 up for grabs.

The future of Indiana professional basketball was in Gainbridge Wednesday night, though neither of them took the court.

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark took her shot at Wednesday’s Lakers-Pacers game. But this time from behind the camera.

Wearing a Pacers photographer’s vest, the two-time WNBA All-Star was spotted sitting baseline with other working photographers alongside her.

It wasn’t the first time Clark worked a game as a team photographer. Clark only appeared in 13 games during the 2025 season due to a series of injuries. While she was unable to join her teammates on the court, Clark was armed with a camera, supporting them from the sidelines.

In March, Clark made her USA basketball senior team debut at the FIBA Women’s World Qualifying Tournament in Puerto Rico. Though she only started one game, Clark broke 14 FIBA records while averaging 11.6 points and 6.4 assists per game. She was also named the tournament’s most valuable player.

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton returned to the bench for the first time since coach Rick Carlisle announced Haliburton was away from the team with shingles. The two-time All-NBA selection will miss the entire 2025-26 season as he rehabilitates from rupturing his right Achilles tendon in Game 7 of last year’s NBA Finals, which Indiana lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Haliburton’s absence has left a huge void for the Pacers, who are finishing one of their worst seasons in team history. Indiana entered Wednesday with the NBA’s worst win percentage (.222). On Monday, the Pacers snapped a 16-game losing streak by beating the Orlando Magic. The previous franchise record was 13 consecutive losses in December and January.

Haliburton said earlier this season that he spent part of his rehabilitation working out with Clark. Both players have used their time away from the court to work on their bodies and hone hobbies. In Haliburton’s case, he’s found time to learn how to DJ, joined Amazon Prime as a player contributor, collaborated with his shoe sponsor Puma on new colorways, and been a veteran voice for Pacers teammates who undoubtedly miss his on-court presence.

In addition to photography, Clark has dabbled in golf, a skill she showcased in last year’s The ANNIKA’s pro-am with Fever teammate Sophie Cunningham. Clark’s group tied for 36th in the event but had plenty of fun doing so.

Both her and Haliburton’s returns to the court in 2026 are highly anticipated.

Clark’s return will also start on time after the WNBA and the league’s players agreed to a new collective bargaining agreement this month. The WNBA’s 30th season tips off on May 8, with the Fever’s regular season set to begin May 9 with a visit to the Dallas Wings. But there’s still plenty to do between now and then, including the WNBA expansion draft on April 3 for the Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo, as well as free agency, the college draft and training camp.

This article originally appeared in The Athletic.

Indiana Pacers, Indiana Fever, NBA, WNBA

2026 The Athletic Media Company

SAN JOSE, CA — Darius Acuff Jr. stood at the top of the arc inside the Moda Center and took a deep breath.

The second-round game against High Point was in the balance, Arkansas up by two points with two minutes to go. The Razorbacks needed a bucket to stave off the upset, and the ball was in the hands of the right man.

Acuff looked at the clock and looked back down at the court. Like a lion grazing through the prairies, a rattlesnake rattling its tail, a hawk circling the sky, he let everyone know it’s time for the deadly strike.

“We know who he is, that killer mentality that he’s got,” said forward Billy Richmond III. “We just knew he was going to score that play.”

Sure enough, Acuff drove down the lane for a picturesque finger-roll layup, making it a two-possession game. On the Razorbacks’ next possession, he hit the dagger 3 to finish off the kill.

Of all the talented freshmen in the country, none of them may be more clutch than the SEC Player of the Year. He has elevated his game on the biggest stage, becoming a deadly assassin, turning anyone standing in his way into his next victim.

“He’s like all the best players that I’ve coached,” said Arkansas coach John Calipari. “He’s like that.”

Acuff has been lighting it up for Arkansas all season, but what has been most impressive is he did it largely not at 100%. An ankle injury had been nagging him for the majority of the final month of the regular season. Calipari employed strategic load management to get him back healthy.

It’s worked wonders, leading to an incredible stretch of performances.

There’s a lot of ways to measure Acuff’s success. He led the SEC in scoring (24.8) and assists (6.6) per game. His numbers actually went up in conference play. What he’s done when the games have mattered most is the most impressive.

Since the calendar flipped to 2026, he has been a second-half monster. He averages 14.5 points in the second half, shooting 53.9% from the field with an even wilder 50.8% mark from deep.

His performances in the clutch are even more impressive. Since the start of the SEC Tournament, his shooting percentage is 61.1% in the final five minutes, a mark that would even wow in the NBA. The latest showing was against the Panthers in the second round, when he scored 12 of his team’s final 16 points to advance to the Sweet 16. 

That capped off a first weekend unlike any other, as his 60 points in the first two rounds were the most ever scored by a freshman.

It’s why, when he has the ball, his teammates know the opponent might as well call it a night, and why Hall of Famer Allen Iverson labeled Acuff “the next HIM.” Acuff signed a signature shoe deal with Reebok, and will become the first NBA rookie with a Reebok signature shoe since Iverson in 1996.

“We’ve been seeing it all season,” said Trevon Brazile. “We know he’s going to go get a bucket. We don’t think nobody can guard him.”

What makes Darius Acuff Jr. so good?

Calipari believes Acuff could run for president. Basketball is likely the career path, given he’ll likely be a lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, but his “otherworldly confidence” makes his coach believe he could run for office.

“You only gain that by being a gym rat. You only gain that by demonstrated performance, which is go in the game and perform, and then you live in the gym,” Calipari said. “Everything you do is about basketball. The other stuff doesn’t matter. All the other outside stuff does not move you.”

Acuff agreed with his coach’s sentiment.

“You got to be a gym rat,” he said. “You’re not going to be who you say you can be if you’re not in the gym. I’m always at a gym, especially knowing what I want to achieve.”

That’s why he gets a different type of treatment from the coach. Calipari admitted he is always the hardest on his best players, and Acuff fits the bill. By expecting greatness from his star, he has seen Acuff’s maturity, leadership and body language grow, culminating in the dazzling performances.

Arkansas may need more late-game heroics in the Sweet 16, facing an Arizona team that is a national title favorite, having coasted through the first two rounds and won 11 straight. Wildcats coach Tommy Lloyd knows all about Acuff, having coached him for USA Basketball at the 2024 FIBA Men’s U18 AmeriCup, where Acuff was named most valuable player.

“Darius is a supreme talent, and he’s a great young man,” Lloyd said.

If the game is close down the stretch, all eyes will be on what Acuff does next. If the ball is in his hands, the Wildcats better be prepared, because this is a player raised to be in the moment, ready to do what it takes to get a win.

Even if it means dealing another fatal blow.

“I’m always doing it,” Acuff said. “I gotta do enough for my team to win.”

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Darius Acuff Jr. has a ‘killer mentality’ in clutch for Arkansas

Sacramento Kings point guard Russell Westbrook will reportedly be out indefinitely with right foot soreness, according to ESPN’s Marc Spears.

Westbrook has missed the last two games due to the injury. An MRI reportedly showed irritation in the joint of the big toe on his right foot.

The 37-year-old is averaging 15.2 points, 6.7 assists, and 5.4 rebounds in his first season with the Kings. The year has been eventful for Westbrook. He passed Oscar Robertson on the all-time scoring list in January and made headlines by turning the tables on reporters by asking them questions in March.

Before signing a one-year, $3.6 million veteran’s minimum contract this offseason, Westbrook spent time with the Nuggets, Clippers, Lakers, Wizards, Rockets, and Thunder.

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Injuries have derailed the Kings this season. Zach LaVine, Domantas Sabonis, and trade acquisition De’Andre Hunter have all suffered season-ending injuries. Keegan Murray has played just 23 games and has been sidelined since Feb. 25 with an ankle injury.

In Tuesday’s 134-90 loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Kings had 10 players unavailable and dressed only eight, the league minimum required to play.

The Kings are 19-54 and set a franchise record in February with a 16-game losing streak. They currently have the worst record in the Western Conference.