Orlando gets top draft pick

Magic wins lottery, 1st time since ’04

The Orlando Magic won the NBA draft lottery Tuesday night and landed the No. 1 overall pick for the first time since they got Dwight Howard in 2004.

It’s the fourth time lottery luck struck for the Magic, who won in back-to-back years in 1992 and 1993, taking Shaquille O’Neal and then trading the rights to Chris Webber for Penny Hardaway.

Orlando finished with the worst record in the Eastern Conference at 22- 60 and missed the playoffs for the eighth time in 10 years. But they got a huge win in the lottery, where they had a 14% chance landing the top pick.

Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, Purdue’s Jaden Ivey and Auburn’s Jabari Smith are widely considered the most likely candidates to be taken first. The draft is June 23 in New York.

Oklahoma City got the second pick, followed by Houston and Sacramento.

Detroit picks fifth, with Indiana, Portland, New Orleans and Washington rounding out the top 10. New York, Oklahoma City, Charlotte and Cleveland filled out the rest of the lottery results.

Warriors

“Pomp and Circumstance” played as Stephen Curry stepped up to the podium after practice Monday as he prepared with the Golden State Warriors for the Western Conference Finals against Dallas, a playful, makeshift moment to honor his new status as college graduate. Curry completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in sociology to join the Davidson College class of 2022, completing his course work 13 years since he left school after his junior season. He fulfilled a promise to mother Sonya that he would receive his degree.