Celtics win lottery, land first pick in NBA draft

Four years ago, Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett played their final games for the Celtics. A month later, they were traded to the Brooklyn Nets in a massive deal that involved multiple firstround picks going to Boston.

On Tuesday – nearly 24 hours after advancing to the Eastern Conference finals – the Celtics reaped the ultimate reward of acquiring a first overall pick by winning the NBA draft lottery. It is the first time Boston will select first since the lottery began in 1985.

The Celtics obtained the pick from the Nets in 2013 and had a 25 percent of getting the top pick. The Nets finished with the league’s worst record at 20-62.

Besides getting the first overall pick a night before they open their series at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Celtics also get another first-round choice in 2018 from the Nets. Boston already obtained first-round picks from Brooklyn in 2014 and 2016.

Markelle Fultz is projected to be the top overall pick in the June 22 draft, and the Celtics could use the pick to pair him in the backcourt with Isaiah Thomas. Thomas was the last overall pick by the Sacramento Kings in the 2011 draft.

While Boston was going to get a top-four pick, the Los Angeles Lakers had to sweat out the lottery. They moved up one spot to number two.

The Philadelphia 76ers, who used the top overall pick to land Ben Simmons last year, will select third. Phoenix will get the fourth overall pick.

The Sacramento Kings rounded out the top five. The Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves are sixth and seventh while the New York Knicks are eighth. The Dallas Mavericks are ninth and the New Orleans Pelicans are 10th.

The Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons, Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat will get the final four lottery picks.

Boston had been long overdue for some luck in the NBA draft lottery after experiencing bitter disappointments in the past.

After dropping down in the 1997 draft when Tim Duncan was the prize and missing out on Kevin Durant in 2007, the Celtics used a winning number combination of 7-1-9-10 to prevail in the lottery.

Now it is up to president of basketball operations Danny Ainge to decide whether to draft a player with a bright future such as Fultz or trade the selection for an established All-Star such as Jimmy Butler or Paul George.

“It’s going to be a tough choice for us where we sit at No. 1,” said Ainge of who he might select. “I think it’s too early. We’ll have a chance to evaluate. We still have more than a month before the draft and we’ll take every day to try to figure out what the best option is.”

Three years after winning 25 games after trading Garnett and Pierce, the Celtics continue on an upward trend, and the No. 1 pick is going to significantly help matters.

“I think that we’ve had a lot of good fortune and we’ve got a terrific coach who has been part of that process,” said Ainge. “Sitting here right now in the Eastern Conference finals with the No. 1 pick, there’s a lot of good fortune that’s