MEN’S BASKETBALL: Boston Celtics sank a record-equalling 29 three-pointers as the reigning champions opened the new National Basketball Association (NBA) season on Wednesday morning with a 132-109 victory over the New York Knicks.

Jayson Tatum top-scored for the Celtics with 37 points.

Bronny James made his NBA debut alongside father LeBron as the LA Lakers edged out Minnesota Timberwolves 110-103 in Wednesday’s other game.

MEN’S TENNIS: 31-year-old former US Open champion Dominic Thiem formally retired from tennis after losing his first-round match to Luciano Darderi at the Vienna Open on Tuesday.

Thiem won 16 ATP Tour titles as well as beating Alexander Zverev in the 2020 US Open final and reached the French Open final twice, losing to Rafael Nadal on both occasions. In 2020 he also lost out to Novak Djokovic in the Australian Open final.

MEN’S RUGBY LEAGUE: Wales ran in eight tries as they cruised to a 48-0 win over Serbia in the first of their World Cup qualifying games at Carcassonne’s Stade Albert Domec on Tuesday.

They will next face France, who thumped Ukraine 74-6 without many of their Super League players in action.

The winners of Saturday’s game will face Jamaica, South Africa and the Cook Islands for a place at 2026’s World Cup in Australia.

MEN’S FOOTBALL: Larne host Shamrock Rovers in an all-Ireland showdown tomorrow evening with both teams looking for their first win in the European Conference League.

Thursday night’s other fixtures include tournament favourites Chelsea at Panathinaikos, Omonia Nicosia visiting Edinburgh to face Hearts, Manuel Pellegrini’s Real Betis up against Copenhagen and Cymru Premier champions The New Saints playing FC Astana at Shrewsbury’s New Meadow stadium.