Latest - The USA men's basketball team has fallen to a second straight shock defeat in the lead-up to the Tokyo Olympics.
Australian guard Patty Mills is defended by Team USA forward Kevin Durant. Photo: AFP
The Australian Boomers have beaten the United States 91-83 in Las Vegas, two days after Nigeria upset the Americans.
Team USA had lost just twice in 56 exhibition games since professionals started playing in 1992.
They have now doubled their loss tally in a few days.
Patty Mills top scored for the Boomers with 22 points, while fellow NBA players Joe Ingles and Matisse Thybulle scored 17 and 12 respectively.
The Americans will be back in action against Argentina tomorrow.
Veteran shooter named to New Zealand Paralympic team for the fifth time
Michael Johnson has been selected to attend his fifth Paralympics.
Photo: Photosport Ltd 2021
The shooter has been named to the New Zealand team for the Tokyo Paralympic Games, which start next month.
Johnson suffered a spinal cord injury in a motor accident when he was 22 and took up shooting in 2001, aged 27.
Within a year of taking up the sport he was competing internationally.
He then won gold at the 2004 Athens Paralympics, followed by back-to-back bronze medals at the Beijing and London Games.
Johnson finished fifth at Rio in 2016.
He will become just the third New Zealander to attend five Paralympics after fellow shooter Collin Willis and Graham Condon.
West Indies go 3-nil up over Australia
Chris Gayle clubbed 67 off 38 balls to help the West Indies seal a six-wicket win over Australia in the third Twenty20 international in St Lucia and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in their five-match series.
Chris Gayle Photo: Photosport
Chasing a modest 142 for victory after Moises Henriques (33) and Ashton Turner (24) put on Australia's first half-century stand of the series, West Indies got home in style thanks to Gayle's blitzkrieg that included seven sixes.
It was the 41-year-old's first T20 half-century since 2016 after barely featuring in the shortest format for the national team in recent years.
Skipper Nicholas Pooran, standing in for the injured Kieron Pollard, was unbeaten on 32.
"It's a great journey. I'm so happy and so pleased to get a series win. I just want to commend stand-in captain Pooran for winning a fantastic series against a great team," Gayle said.
"You all knew I was struggling with the bat and to be able to get some runs was pleasing."
- Reuters
Oly Whites beat Australia
The New Zealand men's Olympic football team kicked off their buildup with a 2-0 win over Australia in Ichihara, Japan.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Two second half goals from Burnley's Chris Wood and FC Helsingor's Eli Just sealed the win for Danny Hay's side, the first win over Australia since 2002.
New Zealand's first chance was in the 36th minute when a Liberato Cacace cross from the left wing nearly reached Chris Wood but the striker was just beaten to it by Australia stopper Thomas Glover.
Chris Wood was again denied in the 39th minute as the pressure started to build on the Australians going into half-time.
10 minutes into the second half the deadlock was finally broken. Callum McCowatt was brought down in the box and Premier League marksman Chris Wood stepped up to convert the resulting penalty.
New Zealand doubled their lead on the 83rd minute as forward Eli Just's rocket from outside the box flew past the Australian keeper into the top corner of the net.
The side included Winston Reid, one of the other over-23 players in the squad.
Dublin game confirmed for All Blacks
The All Blacks will play Ireland in Dublin in November.
Ireland beat All Blacks 2018. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
The Irish have confirmed their schedule for the end of the year with games against the United States, Japan, New Zealand and Argentina.
The All Blacks game is in Dublin on November 13th.
The All Blacks return to Ireland for the first time since 2018 when they suffered their first loss on Irish soil. The sides last met at the Rugby World Cup in Japan when New Zealand won 46-14 at the quarter-final stage.
New Zealand open their northern tour against Wales in Cardiff on October 30th, before playing Italy, Ireland and France.
Conway picks up award
Black Caps opener Devon Conway has been named the ICC's Player of the Month for June.
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Conway became the first New Zealand player to win the award after an astounding first month in Test cricket, cracking a solid double century on debut against England at Lord's and following it up with two half-centuries in his next two games, including in the ICC World Test Championship Final in Southampton.
Conway won the award ahead of team-mate Kyle Jamieson, who was the Player of the Match in the WTC Final against India, with South Africa's Quinton de Kock the other nominee for his fine performances on their tour of the West Indies.
"Scoring a double century at Lord's was a dream come true for me and to have also been able to contribute to our win over India in the ICC World Test Championship Final is something that I know I will proudly look back on in years to come, said Conway.
England spinner Sophie Ecclestone was named women's player of the Month.
Saints secure top spot
Saints have grabbed the top seed for the NBL play-offs after beating Otago 102-85 in Wellington.
Dion Prewster Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Kerwin Roach hit a game high 27 points as the Saints overcame a slow start to remain top of the table.
Geremy McKay had 25 points for Otago who remain in fifth place.
The top four are Saints, Hawke's Bay, Southland and Auckland.
The play-offs are next week.
