Chicago Bulls star Josh Giddey has made a splash upon his return to Melbourne, appearing in a game of socials basketball in Frankston last night.

The Melbourne-raised 22-year-old has just come off a stellar season in the NBA, averaging 14.6 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. But with the Bulls not making the playoffs, he clearly hasn’t had enough basketball for the year.

Giddey took to the court for The Vales, who despite their added star power went down to Benny’s Boys 110-84.

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The number of undefeated teams remaining in Super Netball this season. The NSW Swifts, bolstered by New Zealand international Grace Nweke, have won all four matches to start the season and are eight points clear at the top of the ladder. Defending champions the Adelaide Thunderbirds are second and one of five teams to have won two of the four matches. 

“For me, what's missing is the complete feedback of where my level is. That's going to come slowly with time. After the first round match, I'm going to have a better picture of myself, where I am at. It's very strange feeling again in the beginning to be around so many people and attention. But it's nice to be back, me and my team are very happy.”
Jannik Sinner speaking to media ahead of his return to tennis at the Italian Open this week. The Italian has not played since winning the Australian Open in January, after which he accepted a three-month ban from the sport issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency for failing two drug tests. Sinner, still ranked number one in the world, will face either Mariano Navone or wild card Federico Cina.

Gregg Popovich spent 29 seasons leading the San Antonio Spurs, making him the longest-tenured NBA coach ever. Popovich also holds the record for most regular-season victories, with 1,422. From next season, Popovich will work in the franchise’s front office as team president.

Zhao Xintong has become China’s first snooker world champion, beating three-time world champion Mark Williams in the final. The 28-year-old’s victory was made even more remarkable given that he had only returned to competition earlier this season following a 20-month suspension for his role in a match-fixing scandal. He said afterwards: “It’s very good for Chinese snooker. I’m very happy I’ve done this for them. It’s unbelievable. This is like a dream.”

Port Adelaide star Willie Rioli has avoided any sanctions after reportedly sending a Western Bulldogs player a threatening message. Rioli had already been fined on Sunday for striking Bailey Dale during Port’s loss to the Bulldogs on Saturday. The club released a statement on Monday night which said: "Port Adelaide is aware of a private message sent by Willie Rioli to a Western Bulldogs player following Saturday afternoon’s game between the two clubs." The statement added that the matter had been resolved privately. The AFL also sent out a reminder to "ensure any communications remain respectful".

The Champions League resumes tomorrow morning, with Inter Milan hosting Barcelona in the second leg of the semi-final between the two sides. Both teams will head into the match on equal terms after drawing 3-3 in the opening leg of the semi-final, but Inter will hope to capitalise on its home ground advantage in front of a raucous Italian crowd. The match will kick off at 5:00am (AEST). 

Two motorcyclists have died in an accident at the British Supersport Championship at Oulton Park in Liverpool, England. British rider Owen Jenner, 21, and 29-year-old Kiwi Shane Richardson were fatally injured in a mid-race 11-bike accident. 

In the opening lap of the race,11 riders were involved in a chain-reaction crash. This happens when one rider's fall or mistake causes a series of subsequent crashes or near-misses involving multiple riders.

Jenner and Richardson were both treated trackside before being transferred to the hospital, where they later died of their injuries. One other rider, 47-year-old Tom Tunstall, is in hospital with severe back and abdominal injuries.  

The race was cancelled following the crash. Race organisers released a statement saying they were investigating the incident, alongside local authorities.

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The second round of the NBA Playoffs has begun with eight teams across the league in action. Here’s what you need to know about the matchups and this round of the playoffs, also known as the Conference Semi-Finals.

The Knicks upset the Celtics in Boston in the first match of the series today, coming back from a 20-point deficit in the third quarter and winning 108-105 in overtime. During the regular season, the Celtics beat the Knicks all four times the teams met. However, when it comes to the playoffs, all bets are off. To make the second round, the Knicks beat the Detroit Pistons 4-2, and the Celtics dominated the Orlando Magic 4-1. 

In today’s match, the Knicks’ OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson both recorded 29 points. Mikal Bridges was exceptional in defence with two blocks and three steals, one of which was in overtime to seal the win for the away team. 

Game two, also in Boston, will tip off at 9:00am on Thursday (AEST).  

This matchup was one of the most anticipated of the second round, as Denver’s three-time MVP Nikola Jokić and this year’s MVP favourite, the Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, went head-to-head. To get to the second round, the Thunder swept the Memphis Grizzlies 4-0 while the Nuggets beat the LA Clippers in a Game 7 decider. The Thunder also had the best regular season record of any team in the league, winning 68 of 82 matches. 

In the opening match of the series today, the Nuggets stunned the Thunder 121-119, courtesy of Aaron Gordon sinking a three-pointer with just over five seconds remaining in the match. 

Game two will tip off at 11:30am on Thursday (AEST). 

The Pacers, hoping to make their second straight Eastern Conference Final, lead the series 1-0 after winning game one 121-112 on Sunday in Cleveland (local time). Despite having lost the first match, the Cavaliers are the Western Conference’s number one seed and remain the favourite to win the series. This season, they demonstrated their offensive potency with a league-high average of 121.9 points per game. 

Both teams had no trouble making the second round, with the Cavaliers sweeping the Miami Heat 4-0 and the Pacers eliminating the Bucks 4-1. 

Game 2 will tip off tomorrow at 9:00am (AEST). 

The Timberwolves and Warriors meet in Game One of their Western Conference Semifinal tomorrow. Minnesota cruised past the LA Lakers 4-1 in the first round, and Golden State edged out the Houston Rockets in seven games. 

Golden State, who last won a championship in 2022,  are led by playoff veterans Steph Curry and Draymond Green. The team vastly improved in the latter stages of the season with the addition of Jimmy Butler. 

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves are looking to make a second straight Western Conference Final behind the immense talent of Anthony Edwards. The 23-year-old has been touted as the next face of the league and seems to be growing into that role. 

Game one will tip off tomorrow at 11:30am (AEST).