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 fifth of 21 who wore the No. 10, wing alum Purvis Short. After ending his college career at Jackson State University, Short was picked up with the fifth overall selection of the 1978 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors.

The Hattiesburg, Mississippi native played the first nine seasons of his pro career with the Dubs, coming to an end when he was dealt to the Houston Rockets in 1987. His stay with the team lasted until he signed with the (then) New Jersey (now, Brooklyn) Nets in 1989.

During his time suiting up for the Rockets, Short wore only jersey No. 10 and put up 11.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

All stats and data courtesy of Basketball Reference.

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets jersey history No. 10 – Purvis Short

The season is upon us! Let’s do a public confidence poll. Ok a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you going into the season?

James: I would say a 5 or 8. I am supremely confident (8) that Arizona will have a largely average season. That mediocrity will likely result in a very pedestrian finish of something within spitting distance of .500 one way or the other by the end of the season.

Spencer: Solid 4. Arizona is overspending to pretend like they are contenders. I am confident we will spend the year getting the next wave developed in appropriate ways. That means Lawlar getting regular MLB reps. Waldy getting a cup of coffee. Dix, Jones, etc getting their next opportunities with affiliates. But at the major league level? Perdomo will regress to being very good instead of Ohtani level, Carroll will take time to get his power back. 

Preston: I’m going with 6. I think the offense will continue to be good; while I don’t expect Perdomo to repeat his season entirely, I think the ABS challenge system might help him turn a few more strikeouts into walks. The defense should be better. But that pitching staff? Ouch. One of us might be able to join it by midseason. (One note on my predictions: going into 2016 I was high on the rebuilt pitching staff. They rewarded my confidence with an 88 ERA+ and a FIP of 4.50.)

A note on Perdomo. In integrated baseball, there have been 64 seasons by a shortstop with an OPS+ of 135 or higher. Nine of those belong to a known PED user, and three more happened in 2020. Another was Rich Aurelia in 2001, on a team of noted PED users. It’s far more likely that Perdomo becomes a one-year wonder than that he joins Corey Seager and Bobby Witt Jr. as the best hitting shortstops in history in a single season (both posted 174 OPS+, Seager in 2023 and Witt in 2024.)

Ben: I’ll say 5.5 simply because the pitching staff as a whole could be an absolute nightmare before the All-Star Break. I think the offense could be a pure, dynamic dream to watch with an excellent balance of speed, contact, and power up and down the lineup. We have to hope that getting Puk, Justin Martinez, and Burnes back at some point will buoy the whole team 

1AZfan1: 6. I’m fairly confident we’ll play competent baseball most nights, but I think the bullpen will hold us back from being able to secure 88+ wins (target to make the playoffs). I think April will tell us a lot based on our incredibly difficult strength of schedule and not yet having our TJ arms back. If we’re close at the end of April and our bullpen isn’t a dumpster fire (or it is a dumpster fire but the starting pitching and lineup are good enough to overcome it) without Puk and J-Mart, I’ll bump that confidence level up.

Justin: 6

Dano: Yeah, I’m inclined to go with 6, especially since I just offered up my season W-L prediction and now I see that 1AZFan1 has put a value of 6/10 on broadly what my prediction was. But you know? Screw that. I do genuinely believe, for no good reason very likely, that we are going to overperform expectations this season. So let’s call it a 7!

Makakilo:  This season is unusual because of the wide range of possible wins.  My view is that the Diamondbacks will win between 81 and 89 games, depending on the health and performances of nearly all Diamondbacks players.  Therefore, my confidence that they will reach the playoffs is less than 50%.  Nevertheless, there is a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs.  My confidence is about 4.

A different perspective on Perdomo.  On Tuesday, this AZ Snake Pit article is scheduled to post.  It looks at Perdomo’s batting strengths and weaknesses.  It talks about four reasons that his 2025 breakout will continue this season.     

What’s one prediction you have for this season that you feel is actually likely to happen? 

James: Torey Lovullo is almost certain to spend a majority of the season dodging questions about bullpen usage. He really is not currently blessed with an abundance of quality options. Hopefully, as the season wears on, the team will develop and implement some relievers out of the pool of arms they acquired last summer.

Spencer: The team trades away expensive contracts midseason to save money (Gurriel, ERod, etc.). Whether this is because of a straight selloff or younger replacements with upside, I’m not sure. Maybe both. 

Preston: We hear more about a player being “this year’s Geraldo Perdomo” than we ever heard about Perdomo last year. Or this year, except in the connection of whatever Dodger or Yankee is outperforming expectations.

1AZfan1: Preston had a pretty good one. I’ll predict this is Torey’s last season with us. I don’t think it’s the right call to let him go because I think there are very few managers who actually add a significant amount of wins to their teams and we are highly unlikely to get one as a replacement, but I imagine that we’ll once again finish the season right around .500 and there will be too much pressure from ownership/public to make a change.

Makakilo:  Loaisiga will be on the opening day roster.  In January, I wrote that Jonathan Loaisiga has a chance to win a spot in the bullpen.

Ben: There will be more than two rookies in the regular starting lineup by the end of the season. I’m not sure who those rookies will be, but there are several intriguing names sitting down in Reno who could contribute at the major league-level soon.  

Dano_in_Tucson: We are going to win more games than we lose, and improved performance from our starting rotation is going to substantially be why. 

Do you have any crazy, off the wall predictions for this season?

James: I’m honestly not sure that any of my predictions for the season are that off the wall. For the league, I think we may see a record-low for the number of qualified starts in a season. Is that particularly off the wall though, given the direction the game is moving? For the team, I guess I would say my big “off the wall” prediction would relate to Paul Sewald. He was given a guaranteed MLB contract and he has no options remaining. Usually, that would all but ensure he finishes the season on a Major League roster. I am honestly not convinced Sewald manages to make it to the end of the season before being cut loose by Arizona as the youth displaces him.

Spencer: AJ Puk signs an extension. 

Preston: The Diamondbacks will have a pitcher named to the All Star Team, but Ketel Marte will not be there. How? After last year’s controversy, expect Marte to opt-out unless he’s truly having a remarkable season. That takes care of the second part of the equation. For the first part of the equation, Ryne Nelson will start the year in the rotation, and he’s pitched like an All Star in the second half of the last two seasons, plus a plethora of pitchers always opt-out. Eduardo Rodriguez looked good in the WBC so he might put together a solid first half, and Zac Gallen has name recognition. There’s also the chance that the league office will want to honor veteran players who are nearing the end of their careers in hopes of getting their support in negotiations and name Merrill Kelly to the team. He’s the best pitcher not named to an All Star team over the last few seasons, so he’s not at all undeserving on that note.

1AZfan1: Dodgers don’t win the division. Last year was closer than we all expected, with the NL West crown legitimately not being decided until the last week of the season. Injuries to the Dodgers pitching staff are a given, then all it takes are a couple poorly-timed injuries to the offense and the Dodgers are looking at a 90-win season. One of the Padres, Giants, or even Diamondbacks, could do better than 90 wins.

Makakilo:  The Diamondbacks pitcher with the most saves will not be on the opening day roster.

Ben: Zac Gallen will return to form and get Cy Young votes at the end of the season.

Dano_in_Tucson: Oh, what the heck. I’m leaning into optimism for whatever reason just now, so let me just reiterate a thought I shared after Venezuela won the 2026 World Baseball Classic: bolstered by his crucially important and utterly brilliant start in the final against the US, our favorite hologram, Eduardo Rodriguez, will have an absolute banner year for the Diamondbacks and end the season at least in the conversation regarding who actually was our de facto ace.

When it’s all said and done, which Diamondbacks get awards votes?

James: With Moreno and Carroll starting the season hurt and Marte being a year older at second, I’m not sure that anyone will get votes enough to win anything. Those three players, plus Perdomo, may all receive a few votes for Gold Glove, but I think that’s likely it.

Spencer: Ryne Nelson for Cy Young. Marte and Perdomo for MVP. 

Preston: This may be another year where the eligibility changes render someone losing votes. In 2023, Gabriel Moreno would have been a rookie had the rules not changed, and would have gotten plenty of votes. This year, that role is played by Jordan Lawlar, who I don’t predict to be at the level of Carroll in 2023, but will be good enough to get some down-ballot support if he were eligible. 

1AZfan1: Alek will get Gold Glove votes, and possibly win it, in left field. I think Lawlar will do well enough to hold things down in center and Alek will be overqualified to play a corner outfield position. 

Makakilo:  Spencer is likely correct.

Ben: I think Spencer’s predictions are the strongest candidates for awards, but I could see a scenario where Gabriel Moreno stays healthy and makes a push for a Gold Glove at catcher. He was a top-15 player there last year and that was while missing significant time with various injuries. 

Dano_in_Tucson: Yeah, I am with Spencer on both of those as well. Also, I agree with 1AZFan1 that Alek Thomas will get Gold Glove votes–assuming, of course, that he hits well enough once the regular season kicks off to keep himself in the lineup most every day.

And what’s one storyline you’re looking at in the broader MLB?

James: Labour strife and what the league does from now through the trade deadline to paint the players in as negative a light as possible. The current CBA prevents the players from scuttling the season the way they did back in 1994, or I would be starting a lottery for when in August/September the season comes crashing to a halt. I still remain firmly convinced that the league is going to miss a significant number of games in 2027. But, if things get any uglier in the early-season or if some sort of controversy develops before the break, I could see the season limping to an end as the 2027 season goes up in flames entirely.

Spencer: Skubal. His reputation was at an all time high after arbitration then hit a low when he only wanted to reap the benefits of the WBC without actually helping (read: doing anything). How he handles that stress will be important for the Mets and Yankees to watch in anticipation of his ability to survive NYC expectations. And if he hurts himself, his big payday is gone and he’ll have to “settle” for a contract beginning with 1 instead of 4. 

Preston: The Dodgers. Is it better for them to win again so the players might get frustrated and we avoid a work stoppage, or is it better for them to have a down year so every other owner/fan base can regain some hope? I don’t know the answer, I just know that I am hoping that everything from “Homer at the Bat” befalls that overpaid and overhyped roster.

1AZfan1: The upcoming CBA negotiations top the list for me. I’m hopeful those talks become the most consequential of our generation, introducing some meaningful form of salary cap. Beyond that, I want to see if baseball can capitalize on the incredible WBC and become more popular domestically. Part of that likely depends on the CBA negotiations and whether or not there is a lockout, but baseball hasn’t been this hot in a long time. Can they keep it going or was it just a flash in the pan?

Makakilo:  Possible new rules are being experimented with.  Does baseball have more rule changes next season?

Ben: It’s hard to ignore the labor situation as it will loom over nearly everything that happens this season – from standings to shadow campaigns by both sides to paint themselves in the most sympathetic light while villainizing the other. I will be most interested to see how the labor situation affects any extensions and midseason trades. I suspect most front offices have a labor stoppage of some kind baked into their projections, but it will be a factor undoubtedly. 
Dano_in_Tucson: Yeah, it’s the labor stoppage that I can’t imagine isn’t coming at the end of the 2026 season, and the maneuvering and messaging on both sides as we barrel, seemingly inexorably, toward that. I expect it will be enraging, depressing, maddening, and also probably incredibly fascinating, especially for a labor economics nerd like me.

Detroit Tigers vs. Colorado Rockies

Time/Place: 9:10 p.m., Salt River Fields – Scottsdale, AZ
SB Nation Site:Purple Row
Media:MLB.TV (Rockies broadcast), MLB+ (Rockies broadcast)

Since the partnership between “WWE NXT” and TNA commenced, dream matches have been curated on both sides. One of those breakthrough showcases featured the former NXT Champion Oba Femi defending his championship against TNA’s top powerhouse, Moose, at “NXT” Roadblock last March in Madison Square Garden. The former two-time TNA/Impact World Champion reflected on that bold moment from a year ago, and how he has the utmost respect for “The Ruler.”

“I told myself if I was ever going to do anything in ‘WWE NXT,’ he was definitely my first pick because we’re so much alike,” “The Face of the Franchise” told R3 Jonah on “Rewind Recap Relive.” “We come from the same country. He’s Nigerian. I’m Nigerian…We have a lot in common. He’s a great individual, a great wrestler, very athletic, and people could say the same about me. So, it was a match made in heaven.”

Most wrestlers are happy to be asked to sign to any commercialized promotion at some point in their hardworking careers. For Moose, there was no question of wanting to join WWE. Despite the AEW’s and NJPW’s of the world, Moose is under the impression that most wrestlers like him want a shot at becoming the next Superstar in WWE.

“Let’s be honest, everybody that gets, goes, or makes a decision that they want to be a professional wrestler always say, ‘I want to wrestle for WWE,” he believes. “Doing something that I told myself I was going to do when I was six-years-old, which was wrestle in WWE. And I’m happy that TNA and Carlos [Silva] gave me the opportunity to make that moment happen.”

After the heinous firing from The System, a group Moose helped build from the ground up, “The Wrestling God” is on his way to Sacrifice this Friday to take the last head off the four-headed snake, Eddie Edwards. Moose has already vanquished two out of his four former cohorts (Brian Myers and Cedric Alexander). On Thursday’s “TNA iMPACT,” he’ll face Bear Bronson, the newest recruit after Moose’s departure. As for Femi, he just exceeded Herculean strength after annihilating and humiliating “The Beast Incarnate” Brock Lesnar on the March 16 episode of “WWE Raw.” These two behemoths will officially meet in the ring at WrestleMania 42 next month.

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit “Rewind Recap Relive” with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.

Read more: 30 Best Wrestlers Under 30 In 2025, Ranked By Wrestling Inc.

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Read the original article on Wrestling Inc.

The season is upon us! Let’s do a public confidence poll. Ok a scale of 1 to 10, how confident are you going into the season?

James: I would say a 5 or 8. I am supremely confident (8) that Arizona will have a largely average season. That mediocrity will likely result in a very pedestrian finish of something within spitting distance of .500 one way or the other by the end of the season.

Spencer: Solid 4. Arizona is overspending to pretend like they are contenders. I am confident we will spend the year getting the next wave developed in appropriate ways. That means Lawlar getting regular MLB reps. Waldy getting a cup of coffee. Dix, Jones, etc getting their next opportunities with affiliates. But at the major league level? Perdomo will regress to being very good instead of Ohtani level, Carroll will take time to get his power back. 

Preston: I’m going with 6. I think the offense will continue to be good; while I don’t expect Perdomo to repeat his season entirely, I think the ABS challenge system might help him turn a few more strikeouts into walks. The defense should be better. But that pitching staff? Ouch. One of us might be able to join it by midseason. (One note on my predictions: going into 2016 I was high on the rebuilt pitching staff. They rewarded my confidence with an 88 ERA+ and a FIP of 4.50.)

A note on Perdomo. In integrated baseball, there have been 64 seasons by a shortstop with an OPS+ of 135 or higher. Nine of those belong to a known PED user, and three more happened in 2020. Another was Rich Aurelia in 2001, on a team of noted PED users. It’s far more likely that Perdomo becomes a one-year wonder than that he joins Corey Seager and Bobby Witt Jr. as the best hitting shortstops in history in a single season (both posted 174 OPS+, Seager in 2023 and Witt in 2024.)

Ben: I’ll say 5.5 simply because the pitching staff as a whole could be an absolute nightmare before the All-Star Break. I think the offense could be a pure, dynamic dream to watch with an excellent balance of speed, contact, and power up and down the lineup. We have to hope that getting Puk, Justin Martinez, and Burnes back at some point will buoy the whole team 

1AZfan1: 6. I’m fairly confident we’ll play competent baseball most nights, but I think the bullpen will hold us back from being able to secure 88+ wins (target to make the playoffs). I think April will tell us a lot based on our incredibly difficult strength of schedule and not yet having our TJ arms back. If we’re close at the end of April and our bullpen isn’t a dumpster fire (or it is a dumpster fire but the starting pitching and lineup are good enough to overcome it) without Puk and J-Mart, I’ll bump that confidence level up.

Justin: 6

Dano: Yeah, I’m inclined to go with 6, especially since I just offered up my season W-L prediction and now I see that 1AZFan1 has put a value of 6/10 on broadly what my prediction was. But you know? Screw that. I do genuinely believe, for no good reason very likely, that we are going to overperform expectations this season. So let’s call it a 7!

Makakilo:  This season is unusual because of the wide range of possible wins.  My view is that the Diamondbacks will win between 81 and 89 games, depending on the health and performances of nearly all Diamondbacks players.  Therefore, my confidence that they will reach the playoffs is less than 50%.  Nevertheless, there is a realistic chance of reaching the playoffs.  My confidence is about 4.

A different perspective on Perdomo.  On Tuesday, this AZ Snake Pit article is scheduled to post.  It looks at Perdomo’s batting strengths and weaknesses.  It talks about four reasons that his 2025 breakout will continue this season.     

What’s one prediction you have for this season that you feel is actually likely to happen? 

James: Torey Lovullo is almost certain to spend a majority of the season dodging questions about bullpen usage. He really is not currently blessed with an abundance of quality options. Hopefully, as the season wears on, the team will develop and implement some relievers out of the pool of arms they acquired last summer.

Spencer: The team trades away expensive contracts midseason to save money (Gurriel, ERod, etc.). Whether this is because of a straight selloff or younger replacements with upside, I’m not sure. Maybe both. 

Preston: We hear more about a player being “this year’s Geraldo Perdomo” than we ever heard about Perdomo last year. Or this year, except in the connection of whatever Dodger or Yankee is outperforming expectations.

1AZfan1: Preston had a pretty good one. I’ll predict this is Torey’s last season with us. I don’t think it’s the right call to let him go because I think there are very few managers who actually add a significant amount of wins to their teams and we are highly unlikely to get one as a replacement, but I imagine that we’ll once again finish the season right around .500 and there will be too much pressure from ownership/public to make a change.

Makakilo:  Loaisiga will be on the opening day roster.  In January, I wrote that Jonathan Loaisiga has a chance to win a spot in the bullpen.

Ben: There will be more than two rookies in the regular starting lineup by the end of the season. I’m not sure who those rookies will be, but there are several intriguing names sitting down in Reno who could contribute at the major league-level soon.  

Dano_in_Tucson: We are going to win more games than we lose, and improved performance from our starting rotation is going to substantially be why. 

Do you have any crazy, off the wall predictions for this season?

James: I’m honestly not sure that any of my predictions for the season are that off the wall. For the league, I think we may see a record-low for the number of qualified starts in a season. Is that particularly off the wall though, given the direction the game is moving? For the team, I guess I would say my big “off the wall” prediction would relate to Paul Sewald. He was given a guaranteed MLB contract and he has no options remaining. Usually, that would all but ensure he finishes the season on a Major League roster. I am honestly not convinced Sewald manages to make it to the end of the season before being cut loose by Arizona as the youth displaces him.

Spencer: AJ Puk signs an extension. 

Preston: The Diamondbacks will have a pitcher named to the All Star Team, but Ketel Marte will not be there. How? After last year’s controversy, expect Marte to opt-out unless he’s truly having a remarkable season. That takes care of the second part of the equation. For the first part of the equation, Ryne Nelson will start the year in the rotation, and he’s pitched like an All Star in the second half of the last two seasons, plus a plethora of pitchers always opt-out. Eduardo Rodriguez looked good in the WBC so he might put together a solid first half, and Zac Gallen has name recognition. There’s also the chance that the league office will want to honor veteran players who are nearing the end of their careers in hopes of getting their support in negotiations and name Merrill Kelly to the team. He’s the best pitcher not named to an All Star team over the last few seasons, so he’s not at all undeserving on that note.

1AZfan1: Dodgers don’t win the division. Last year was closer than we all expected, with the NL West crown legitimately not being decided until the last week of the season. Injuries to the Dodgers pitching staff are a given, then all it takes are a couple poorly-timed injuries to the offense and the Dodgers are looking at a 90-win season. One of the Padres, Giants, or even Diamondbacks, could do better than 90 wins.

Makakilo:  The Diamondbacks pitcher with the most saves will not be on the opening day roster.

Ben: Zac Gallen will return to form and get Cy Young votes at the end of the season.

Dano_in_Tucson: Oh, what the heck. I’m leaning into optimism for whatever reason just now, so let me just reiterate a thought I shared after Venezuela won the 2026 World Baseball Classic: bolstered by his crucially important and utterly brilliant start in the final against the US, our favorite hologram, Eduardo Rodriguez, will have an absolute banner year for the Diamondbacks and end the season at least in the conversation regarding who actually was our de facto ace.

When it’s all said and done, which Diamondbacks get awards votes?

James: With Moreno and Carroll starting the season hurt and Marte being a year older at second, I’m not sure that anyone will get votes enough to win anything. Those three players, plus Perdomo, may all receive a few votes for Gold Glove, but I think that’s likely it.

Spencer: Ryne Nelson for Cy Young. Marte and Perdomo for MVP. 

Preston: This may be another year where the eligibility changes render someone losing votes. In 2023, Gabriel Moreno would have been a rookie had the rules not changed, and would have gotten plenty of votes. This year, that role is played by Jordan Lawlar, who I don’t predict to be at the level of Carroll in 2023, but will be good enough to get some down-ballot support if he were eligible. 

1AZfan1: Alek will get Gold Glove votes, and possibly win it, in left field. I think Lawlar will do well enough to hold things down in center and Alek will be overqualified to play a corner outfield position. 

Makakilo:  Spencer is likely correct.

Ben: I think Spencer’s predictions are the strongest candidates for awards, but I could see a scenario where Gabriel Moreno stays healthy and makes a push for a Gold Glove at catcher. He was a top-15 player there last year and that was while missing significant time with various injuries. 

Dano_in_Tucson: Yeah, I am with Spencer on both of those as well. Also, I agree with 1AZFan1 that Alek Thomas will get Gold Glove votes–assuming, of course, that he hits well enough once the regular season kicks off to keep himself in the lineup most every day.

And what’s one storyline you’re looking at in the broader MLB?

James: Labour strife and what the league does from now through the trade deadline to paint the players in as negative a light as possible. The current CBA prevents the players from scuttling the season the way they did back in 1994, or I would be starting a lottery for when in August/September the season comes crashing to a halt. I still remain firmly convinced that the league is going to miss a significant number of games in 2027. But, if things get any uglier in the early-season or if some sort of controversy develops before the break, I could see the season limping to an end as the 2027 season goes up in flames entirely.

Spencer: Skubal. His reputation was at an all time high after arbitration then hit a low when he only wanted to reap the benefits of the WBC without actually helping (read: doing anything). How he handles that stress will be important for the Mets and Yankees to watch in anticipation of his ability to survive NYC expectations. And if he hurts himself, his big payday is gone and he’ll have to “settle” for a contract beginning with 1 instead of 4. 

Preston: The Dodgers. Is it better for them to win again so the players might get frustrated and we avoid a work stoppage, or is it better for them to have a down year so every other owner/fan base can regain some hope? I don’t know the answer, I just know that I am hoping that everything from “Homer at the Bat” befalls that overpaid and overhyped roster.

1AZfan1: The upcoming CBA negotiations top the list for me. I’m hopeful those talks become the most consequential of our generation, introducing some meaningful form of salary cap. Beyond that, I want to see if baseball can capitalize on the incredible WBC and become more popular domestically. Part of that likely depends on the CBA negotiations and whether or not there is a lockout, but baseball hasn’t been this hot in a long time. Can they keep it going or was it just a flash in the pan?

Makakilo:  Possible new rules are being experimented with.  Does baseball have more rule changes next season?

Ben: It’s hard to ignore the labor situation as it will loom over nearly everything that happens this season – from standings to shadow campaigns by both sides to paint themselves in the most sympathetic light while villainizing the other. I will be most interested to see how the labor situation affects any extensions and midseason trades. I suspect most front offices have a labor stoppage of some kind baked into their projections, but it will be a factor undoubtedly. 
Dano_in_Tucson: Yeah, it’s the labor stoppage that I can’t imagine isn’t coming at the end of the 2026 season, and the maneuvering and messaging on both sides as we barrel, seemingly inexorably, toward that. I expect it will be enraging, depressing, maddening, and also probably incredibly fascinating, especially for a labor economics nerd like me.

Jannik Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka kept their “Sunshine Double” dreams alive with emphatic victories at the ATP/WTA Miami Open on Monday as defending men’s champion Jakub Mensik joined a slew of seeds who crashed out.

Sinner and Sabalenka are bidding to join an elite band of players who have won Indian Wells and the Miami Open back-to-back, and arrived in Florida brimming with confidence after their respective victories in the California desert earlier this month.

Women’s world number one Sabalenka, defending the Miami title she won for the first time last year, cruised into the quarter-finals with a 6-3, 6-4 demolition of China’s 2024 Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen.

Sinner, who is chasing a second victory in Miami after lifting the title in 2024, was similarly comfortable in his third-round clash with French 30th seed Corentin Moutet, winning 6-1, 6-4 to advance to the last 16.

Sabalenka is aiming to become only the fifth woman to complete the Indian Wells-Miami double after Steffi Graf, Kim Clijsters, Victoria Azarenka and Iga Swiatek.

On Monday’s form, few would bet against the big-hitting four-time Grand Slam champion from Belarus, who comfortably disposed of 23rd seed Zheng in 1hr 25min.

“She’s a tough opponent and I’m super happy with the level I played at today,” Sabalenka said in her on-court interview. “I can definitely say that it felt like home.

“I feel like I’m getting better, serving better, getting used to these conditions, which are tricky. But I’m getting more and more comfortable with every match,” added Sabalenka, who faces unseeded American Hailey Baptiste in the quarter-finals.

Baptiste was one of three American women to advance to the last eight on Monday. 

Fourth seed Coco Gauff downed Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, while fifth seed Jessica Pegula beat another Romanian, Jacqueline Cristian 6-4, 6-1.

Canada’s Victoria Mboko, seeded 10, upset Russian eighth seed Mirra Andreeva 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 6-0 to set up a quarter-final with Czech 13th seed Karolina Muchova, who strolled past Alexandra Eala of the Philippines 6-0, 6-2. 

– Sinner stroll, Mensik falls –

In the men’s draw, Italian second seed Sinner was always in control against France’s Moutet on the Hard Rock Stadium’s main court.

Sinner will face unseeded American Alex Michelsen in the last 16. Michelsen defeated Chile’s Alejandro Tabilo 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 earlier Monday. 

But while Sinner sailed through, defending champion Jakub Mensik was among the latest crop of seeds to tumble out, losing a gruelling three-setter against 19th seed Frances Tiafoe 7-6 (7/4), 4-6, 7-6 (13/11).

A 2hr 55min slug-fest was decided by a marathon third set tiebreak when Czech 20-year-old Mensik saved six match points before finally succumbing.

US hope Tiafoe, who himself saved two match points in the final tiebreak, sealed victory after converting his seventh match point when a Mensik return of serve drifted wide.

Tiafoe will face France’s Terence Atmane in the last 16. Atmane powered into the fourth round with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-3 upset of Canadian seventh seed Felix Auger-Aliassime on Monday.

Auger-Aliassime joined a lengthening list of seeds who have stumbled in the early rounds in Miami that includes Indian Wells runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who was shown the door earlier Monday in a 6-0, 4-6, 7-5 loss to Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo.

Medvedev’s exit followed the departures of world number one Carlos Alcaraz, Australian fifth seed Alex De Minaur and eighth seed Ben Shelton.

Another French player, 31st seed Ugo Humbert, beat Kazakhstan’s Alexander Shevchenko 6-4, 7-6 (7/2).

Third seed Alexander Zverev got past Croatian veteran Marin Cilic 6-2, 5-7, 6-4.

rcw/dh

The Los Angeles Lakers are red-hot, and the biggest reason they came into Monday with a nine-game winning streak was the play of Luka Doncic. In those nine games, he averaged 40 points a game on 49% shooting from the field and 40.3% from 3-point range.

Last week, he scored 36 and 40 points in two games against the Houston Rockets on Monday and Wednesday. He then erupted for 60 points on 18-of-30 overall shooting and 9-of-17 from downtown on Thursday versus the Miami Heat before posting 33 points in Saturday’s win over the Orlando Magic.

Doncic had already been named the Western Conference Player of the Week for the week that ended on March 15. He has earned that honor once again.

Los Angeles Lakers guard Luka Dončić and Charlotte Hornets guard LaMelo Ball have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 22 of the 2025-26 season (March 16-22). pic.twitter.com/jOKdrFb006

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 23, 2026

On the season, Doncic is averaging 33.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 1.6 steals a game, and he’s leading the NBA in scoring average, field-goal attempts a game, free throw attempts a game and both 3-point attempts and makes per game. He is seemingly clawing his way into the MVP discussion, even though it seems very unlikely that he will actually win the award.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Luka Doncic wins Western Conference Player of the Week award again

The Clemson Tigers suffered a tough blow on the injury front on Monday, with one of their prominent transfer additions being shelved for what could end up being the entire 2026 campaign.

According to multiple reports, West Georgia transfer defensive lineman Kourtney Kelly suffered a torn ACL, an injury that is expected to hold him out for an extended period of time, and potentially the entire 2026 season, depending on how his recovery process plays out.

Kelly was one of 10 transfer additions that the Tigers made this offseason, and one of four defensive linemen.

The redshirt sophomore spent his first two years at West Georgia, where he was credited with 17 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, and a fumble recovery in 12 games. Standing at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds, Kelly was rated as a 3-star transfer and the No. 236 available defensive lineman.

With mainstays like Peter Woods, DeMonte Capehart, and Stephilyan Green leaving the defensive line, the Tigers are looking for new players to step up in the trenches. Without Kelly in the mix, it will be on guys like incoming transfers  Markus Strong, London Merritt, and C.J. Wesley to step up alongside returning players Amare Adams, Vic Burley, Markus Strong, and Hevin Brown-Shuler to shoulder the load.

Contact us @Clemson_Wire on X, and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Clemson Tigers news and notes, plus opinions.

This article originally appeared on Clemson Wire: Clemson Tigers transfer Kourney suffers torn ACL, undergoes surgery

The Dodgers play their first game at Dodger Stadium since Game 5 of last year’s World Series on Monday, hosting the Angels for the second of a three-game exhibition series.

Roki Sasaki goes for the Dodgers against left-hander Reid Detmers.

Tonight’s #FreewaySeries Dodgers lineup vs. Angels: pic.twitter.com/bXr2S4Q6bM

— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 23, 2026

MONDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Angels
• Stadium: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 6:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: Am 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)