N.B.A. Draft Lottery 2017: Celtics Got 1st Pick, Markelle Fultz?

The Boston Celtics got the top pick on Tuesday night in the 2017 draft lottery. They had acquired the pick as part of a trade with the Nets in 2013. The Los Angeles Lakers got the No. 2 pick, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers at No. 3. The Knicks, who had a 5.3 percent chance of getting the top pick, received the No. 8 slot.

Boston had a 25% chance to get the 1st seed and the opportunity to build an Eastern Conference giant. It was part of the payoff for a 2013 trade in which the Nets sent the Celtics their 2014, 2016, and 2018 first-round picks, along with the right to swap picks this year, for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce.

While Garnett and Pierce are now retired and the Nets were the worst team in the league this season, the Celtics have continued to build a contender with those assets. They took Jaylen Brown with the third overall pick last June and now have the No. 1 pick to leverage.

Here's my mock draft for 2017:

1st Boston Celtics : Markelle Fultz is an easy top pick, Danny Ainge will be an idiot to pass on him.
2nd Los Angeles Lakers: Lonzo Ball
3rd Philadelphia 76ers: Jayson Tatum
4th Phoenix Suns: Josh Jackson
5th Sacramento Kings: De’Aaron Fox

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John Wall Told Celtics: "Don't come to my city, wearing all black"

John Wall's late-game heroics saved the Washington Wizards' from the brink of elimination. Players from the Boston Celtics' had an all-black pregame attire, but John Wall's 3-pointer with 3.5 seconds to play delivered Friday's saved the Wizards that even the series and forced a Game 7.

"Don't come to my city, wearing all black, talking about a funeral," Wall told ESPN on the court after the 92-91 win.

With a chance to bag the series, the players of the Boston Celtics arrived at the Verizon Center nearly all decked out in black suits, shirts, pants and vests.

"I didn't know that they wore all black today," Wizards guard Bradley Beal said. "But it doesn't faze us. It is what it is. They came in and played hard. We're not going to take anything from them."

"It was just funny to me," Wall told reporters of the Celtics' attire. "I mean, talking to family and friends, they get to see what's happening on social media. I try to stay off it ... and they just said they were gonna wear all black, so we knew it was kind of copy-catting what we did. It was in my mind throughout the game. I didn't want them to come here in all black and basically call it a funeral and we lose at home. We made some plays and the ball went our way at the end, and now we get to force a Game 7 at their place."

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"THIS FOR YOU HOE!!!" - John Wall pic.twitter.com/dWrCVi2Vyq

— Legends (@LegendsofCH) May 13, 2017