WASHINGTON – The Atlanta Hawks will have the top selection in the 2024 NBA draft next month after beating the odds to come out on top in the draft lottery in Chicago on Sunday (Monday Manila time).
The 14 teams that failed to make the playoffs took part in the lottery to determine the early draft selection order, the weighted system giving the 14-68 Detroit Pistons and the 15-67 Washington Wizards each a 14% chance of landing the top pick.
The Charlotte Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers had the next best chances, but it was Atlanta — which actually made the Eastern Conference play-in and only had a 3% chance — that came out on top in the drawing.
The Wizards will pick second, followed by the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.
The Spurs won the lottery last year and selected French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama, who scooped this season’s Rookie of the Year award after an impressive debut campaign.
Unlike last year, when Wembanyama was a virtual certainty to go No. 1, the top selection is less ironclad.
However, plenty of analysts have predicted French prospect Alex Sarr is the likeliest top pick, with compatriot Zaccharie Risacher right behind him.
Sarr, 19, is a 7-foot-1 center who played for the Perth Wildcats in Australia’s NBL for a season and caught the eye of NBA executives in two exhibition games in Las Vegas against the G Lea gue Ignite.
Risacher, 1 9, plays for JL Bourg-en-Bresse in the LNB Pro A French League.
Other players who could figure in the top five selections are University of Connecticut center Donovan Clingan and guard Stephon Castle, and Serbian guard Nikola Topic.
Draft prospects will have a chance to showcase their skills at the draft combine that began on Sunday in Chicago.
The draft will be held June 26–27.
LOS ANGELES – Tyrese Haliburton scored 20 points and the Indiana Pacers dismantled the New York Knicks, 121-89, on Sunday (Monday Manila time) to level their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series at two games apiece.
After the first three games of the best-of-seven series came down to the final minutes, Haliburton and the Pacers finally got their high-octane offense firing and fashioned a blow-out, a raft of injuries at last catching up with the Knicks.
The Pacers connected on 56.8% of their shots, drilling 14 three-pointers and dominating in the paint.
T.J. McConnell scored 15 points off the bench for Indiana, who had six players score in double figures.
After a dunk by Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein to open the game, the first quarter was all Pacers, Indiana pushing their lead to as many as 23 points.
Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson was 0-for-5 in the opening quarter and the Pacers bench out-scored the Knicks reserves 17-0 in the period.
The domination continued in the second quarter, Haliburton sending the crowd into a frenzy with a three-pointer over Donte DiVincenzo that put the Pacers up by 30 with 5.9 seconds left in the first half.
They would lead by as many as 43 before it was over, but despite the rapturous ovation from fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Haliburton said the Pacers must remain focused on the task ahead.
“We did our job,” Haliburton said. “They did their job and won two at home, we did our job and won two at home. Game five is higher stakes.”
The banged-up Knicks were again without OG Anunoby, who injured a hamstring in game two to join key contributors Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic on the sidelines.
The strain was telling on Brunson, who is playing through a right foot injury. Brunson connected on six of 17 attempts to score 18 points with three rebounds and five assists before checking out with two and a half minutes left in the third quarter.
With the contest out of hand and game five coming up at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday, both coaches pulled their starters for the fourth quarter.
“Now we’ve got to go there and get a win in the Garden,” Haliburton said. “We expect them to throw a big punch going into game five, but we’re capable of doing that at the same time.”