Sports
Sports

Hawks out of contention for best draft lottery odds

102715 ATLANTA: -- A new Hawks logo is painted on the tunnel wall leading out to the court for the first regular season basketball game "home opener" on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

Credit: ccompton@ajc.com

102715 ATLANTA: -- A new Hawks logo is painted on the tunnel wall leading out to the court for the first regular season basketball game "home opener" on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2015, in Atlanta. Curtis Compton / ccompton@ajc.com
By
April 7, 2018

The Hawks won’t have the best odds to win the NBA draft lottery because they won’t finish with the league’s worst record.

The Hawks won at the Wizards on Friday, and the Suns lost at home to the Pelicans. Those results mean that, with two games to play for both teams, the Hawks (23-57) will finish with a better record than the Suns (20-60).

The Hawks have the third-worst record in the league. The Grizzlies (21-58) and Mavericks (24-56) also lost on Friday.

The team that finishes with the worst record (if no teams are tied) will have a 25 percent chance of winning the top pick in the lottery. The team with the second-worst record has about a 20 percent chance of winning the lottery and the team with the third-worst record has roughly a 16 percent chance.

The Hawks conclude the season with games at the Celtics (54-25) on Sunday and at home against the Sixers (49-30) on Tuesday.

About the Author

Michael Cunningham has covered Atlanta sports for the AJC since 2010.

Follow Michael Cunningham on twitter
More Stories

Keep Reading

Atlanta Dream center Brittney Griner (42) fights for possession during the first half of a WNBA basketball first-round playoff game against the Indiana Fever at Gateway Center Arena on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2024, in Atlanta.  (Miguel Martinez/ AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

‘Whole new ballgame’: Dream’s defense cools down Fever in Game 1 win

Second and fourth quarters prove to be the difference in first playoff win in seven years.

Dream’s mission continues: Defeat the Fever, avoid do-or-die Game 3

With semifinals within reach, Atlanta seeks to handle business Tuesday in Indiana instead of risking a winner-take-all game back home.

Howard, Gray help Dream open playoffs the right way

The Latest

The Atlanta Dream logo is seen on display on the center court at the Gateway Center Arena before the first-round playoff game between the Atlanta Dream and the Indiana Fever on Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Atlanta. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

Credit: Miguel Martinez-Jimenez

Dream’s mission continues: Defeat the Fever, avoid do-or-die Game 3

Atlanta TV sports listings

‘Whole new ballgame’: Dream’s defense cools down Fever in Game 1 win

Featured

In this file photo from October 2024, Atlanta Braves outfielder Jorge Soler and teammates react after losing to the San Diego Padres 5-4 in San Diego. The Braves and Soler, who now plays for the Los Angeles Angels, face a lawsuit by a fan injured at a 2021 World Series game at Truist Park in Atlanta. (Jason Getz/AJC)

Credit: Jason.Getz@ajc.com

A Braves fan took a ball to the face. The team may be liable, judges say.

The Atlanta Braves and former right fielder Jorge Soler face a lawsuit by a fan hit in the eye with a ball during a World Series game at Truist Park in 2021.

Joro spiders multiply across Georgia, spinning their pesky webs

The invasive species has multiplied rapidly in Atlanta in the last three years, research shows.

Ford settles billion-dollar Georgia lawsuits over fatal wrecks

Ford Motor Co. has settled two Georgia lawsuits that elicited record-setting jury verdicts of $1.7 billion and $2.5 billion, ending more than a decade of litigation.