Suns secure 2nd-best NBA Draft Lottery odds as Lakers win
Apr 11, 2017, 9:45 PM | Updated: Apr 12, 2017, 11:32 am
Phoenix Suns guard Tyler Ulis, left, goes to the floor for the ball as Sacramento Kings guard Ty Lawson watches during the first half of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, April 11, 2017, in Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)
The Phoenix Suns’ finish to the regular season has secured them the second-best odds of winning the NBA Draft Lottery.
Earl Watson’s team played the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday night to wrap the year with the second-worst record (24-58) in the NBA, but the Suns didn’t have to wait until their own game ended to lock themselves into that enviable position come the draft lottery.
That’s because the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 108-96 just before the Suns-Kings game ended, relegating the Pacific Division rival to settling for the third-best draft lottery odds.
Los Angeles finishes its season Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors and has won five straight.
The Lakers’ winning down the stretch threatens their pick, which goes to the Philadelphia 76ers if it falls outside the top-3.
Meanwhile, Phoenix fell to Sacramento by a 129-104 final score behind Tyler Ulis’ 27 points. With a loss, the Suns close the year 2-14 over their last 16 games, 15 of which came after starting point guard Eric Bledsoe was shut down on March 15.
The second-worst record in the NBA gives the Suns a 19.9-percent shot of winning the top pick, an 18.8-percent chance of drafting second and 17.1-percent shot of drafting third. Phoenix has a 31.9-percent chance of drafting fourth and 12.3-percent shot of picking fifth.
The Lakers have a 15.6-percent shot of winning the lottery, a 15.7-percent opportunity to draft second and a 15.6-percent chance at picking third.
With the worst record in the NBA, the Brooklyn Nets have a 25-percent shot at drafting first, 21.5-percent chance at second and 17.7-percent shot at drafting third.
The 14 non-playoff teams will find out their fate with the NBA Draft Lottery taking place on Tuesday, May 16.
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