The Suns didn’t just win the lottery.
They also placed second and third.
Phoenix had its ping-pong-ball combination pulled first, second and third last night. With the No. 1 pick already given to the Suns, the second and third drawings were disregarded. Eventually, the Kings and Hawks landed the No. 2 and No. 3 picks.
The NBA released footage of the actual drawings, no doubt to quell absurd talk of the lottery being fixed. It won’t work. That representatives of each involved team are in the room doesn’t convince many fans. People enjoy conspiracy theories.
For the reasonable-minded, this is even more evidence in the overwhelming case that the lottery is on the up-and-up. For everyone, it’s an interesting look behind the scenes. And for a few, it’s a chance to comb the video for irregularities, real or imagined.