Aussie basketball star Josh Giddey is proving to the Chicago Bulls that he is worth the four-year $AU150 million contract extension he signed over the summer.

The Bulls beat the Sacramento Kings 126-113 today and remain unbeaten after four games. Giddey starred with 20 points, 12 assists, and eight rebounds.

The Philadelphia 76ers, Oklahoma City Thunder, and San Antonio Spurs are the only others teams to have not lost a match yet this season.

Who’s your pick to stay unbeaten the longest?

169
The number of runs scored by South African cricket captain Laura Wolvaardt in her side’s victory over England in last night’s Women’s Cricket World Cup semi-final. South Africa dominated England by 125 runs to secure their place in the final of the World Cup for the first time. Attention now turns to the second semi-final between Australia and India, which begins at 8:30pm tonight. You can watch the match on Prime Video.

"Clearly, there are things we have to learn from this. But right now we are concerned about the family and trying to support them in every way."
Cricket Australia chair Mike Baird speaking about the death of a 17-year-old boy in a cricketing accident in Melbourne’s east. Ben Austin was struck in the neck by a cricket ball launched by a throwing device while he was batting in practice nets earlier this week, and died of his injuries earlier today. Cricket Victoria’s Nick Cummins told the ABC: "The ball hit him in the neck in a similar accident that Phil Hughes suffered ten years ago." A statement released by Ferntree Gully Cricket Club said: “We are absolutely devastated by the passing of Ben, and the impacts of his death will be felt by all in our cricket community.”

‘The Nose’ is a famous rock climbing route on El Capitan in California’s Yosemite National Park. When the 958-metre route was first climbed in 1958, it took Warren Harding, George Whitmore, and Wayne Merry 45 days to reach the top. The record for the fastest ascent up ‘The Nose’ was set in 2018 by Tommy Caldwell and Alex Honnold, who finished the climb in 1 hour, 58 minutes, and seven seconds. 

🎾 Australia’s new top-ranked women’s tennis player, Maya Joint, has reached the quarter-finals of a tour-level event for the sixth time this season. The 19-year-old is into the Hong Kong Open quarterfinals after a straight-sets win over Slovakia’s Viktória Morvayová (6-1, 6-4). Joint has also won two titles this season, in Rabat and Eastbourne, and has seen her world ranking soar from No.116 to No.32. Meanwhile, at the Paris Masters, Alex de Minaur defeated Canada’s Gabrielo Diallo in three sets (7-6, 4-6, 6-3). The world No.6 will take on Karen Khachanov in the round of 16. 

🏏 Heavy rain brought the first T20 between Australia’s men’s cricket team and India in Canberra to an early end, with the match abandoned after just 9.4 overs. India started strongly with the bat, racing to 97 runs and losing just one wicket before the weather forced players off for good. With the five-match series remaining level at 0-0, attention turns to the second match at the MCG on Friday night. More than 80,000 fans are expected to attend.

🏐 The Australian Diamonds have dramatically reclaimed the Constellation Cup, defeating New Zealand 12-11 in extra time after the Silver Ferns levelled the series 2-2 in Christchurch. The Silver Ferns won the fourth Test 62-57 to force a mini-match decider, but Sophie Garbin sealed victory for Australia with a clutch goal in the final seconds. It marks the Diamonds’ first win on New Zealand soil since 2021 and their 12th Constellation Cup triumph since the series began in 2010.

⚾ The Toronto Blue Jays have won a second straight game against the Los Angeles Dodgers to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Pitcher Trey Yesavage starred for the Blue Jays, conceding just one run in seven innings to help the away side win 6-1. After three games in Los Angeles, both teams will now head to Toronto for Game 6, where the Blue Jays will have a chance to clinch the World Series in front of their home fans.

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Ryan Papenhuyzen’s time at the Melbourne Storm has come to an end, with the club granting the premiership-winning fullback an immediate release despite a year left on his contract. 

The move comes amid rumours linking the fullback to the breakaway rugby union competition R360, though no future plans have been confirmed.

The 27-year-old, who was named the Clive Churchill Medallist in Melbourne’s 2020 grand final win over Penrith, will now take time away from rugby league with his career plans unclear.

After joining the Storm in 2017 and playing 113 NRL games, Papenhuyzen’s career was marked by brilliance and cruel luck with injuries, before returning to consistency over the past two seasons. 

Storm chairman Matt Tripp said: “Ryan has shown great character and resilience throughout his time at our Club, and we’ve loved watching him develop into the player and person that he is today. We’re obviously disappointed that his time at Storm has come to an end, but we respect his decision to take some time away from professional sport.”

Papenhuyzen said: “I want to thank the Club for their understanding and support throughout this process. I also want to thank my teammates, coaches and staff for all their love and support, it’s been a privilege playing footy and working with you.”

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The final round of the AFLW home and away season is set for a thrilling finish, with four of the eight finals spots still up in the air and eleven teams mathematically in contention. 

Reigning premiers North Melbourne have already secured the minor premiership and sit clear on top after 23 straight wins. 

Here’s what to know.

Hawthorn (2nd), Melbourne (3rd), and the Brisbane Lions (4th), have all secured finals spots but are still battling for home-ground advantage. Hawthorn faces an enormous test against North Melbourne on Friday night, while Melbourne and the Lions will both look to boost their points percentage against Geelong (12th) and Collingwood (14th).

Carlton (5th), St Kilda (6th) and the Adelaide Crows (8th) all have their finals fate in their own hands. St Kilda are on track for their first-ever finals appearance, but must beat the Western Bulldogs (13th) to be safe. The Crows need to beat Fremantle (10th) on Sunday to lock in their spot, while Carlton faces West Coast (7th) in a virtual elimination match, with the loser almost certain to miss out.

The Sydney Swans (9th) are favoured to make the top eight and return to finals if they defeat Essendon (15th), while West Coast may pay the price for last week’s loss to the Swans. Port Adelaide (11th) and Geelong still hold faint mathematical hopes but would need multiple results to fall their way.

In the AFLW, if two teams finish with the same number of competition points, their ladder position is decided by percentage. The percentage is the ratio of total points scored for versus against. That means every goal can determine who sneaks into the top eight and plays in the finals. 

The first match of the round will be the top-of-the-table clash between Hawthorn and North Melbourne on Friday at 7:15pm (AEDT). You can watch the match on Channel 7, Kayo, and Foxtel.