Go Northwest, Young Men

Portland, Seattle win big in NBA draft lottery; Memphis, Boston fans foiled
By Jesse Andrews,  Newser Staff
Posted May 23, 2007 5:43 AM CDT
Go Northwest, Young Men
Portland Trail Blazers' Brandon Roy poses with the card showing Portland won the NBA draft lottery, giving them the No. 1 pick in the upcoming draft, Tuesday, May 22, 2007, in Secaucus, N.J. (AP Photo/Bill Kostroun)   (Associated Press)

In a dramatic NBA draft lottery, the Trail Blazers and SuperSonics won the respective rights to first and second choice in June's selection process—widely considered tickets to Ohio State center Greg Oden and Texas forward Kevin Durant. Portland, led by 2006 rookie of the year Brandon Roy, had only a 5.3% chance of landing top choice. 

The NBA's losingest teams—Memphis, Boston, and Milwaukee—were thought to have tanked deliberately to land Oden or Durant. If so, it may have been for naught; they will choose fourth, fifth, and sixth, respectively. Commissioner David Stern thinks it will be "the deepest draft in a couple of decades." (More NBA stories.)

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