NEW YORK — The Utah Jazz won a tiebreaker with the Boston Celtics, giving them a chance for a better pick in the NBA draft.

Both teams finished with 25-57 records. The Jazz will be slotted fourth in the lottery, with a 10.4 percent chance at the No. 1 pick, while the Celtics will have a 10.3 percent chance. If they or no teams behind them move up, Utah will pick No. 4 and Boston at No. 5.

Boston also will have the No. 17 pick after a tie was broken between Brooklyn and Washington, both 44-38. The Nets owe the pick to the Celtics from last summer’s trade that landed them Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Chicago (48-34) won a tiebreaker with Toronto at No. 19.

The ties were broken Friday through random drawings.

LAKERS: Mike D’Antoni was still the coach when he left the team’s training complex to spend the Easter weekend out of town with his family.

Advertisement

How long D’Antoni retains his job won’t be decided at least until next week.

D’Antoni will make $4 million next year, and the Lakers hold an option for 2015-16. If he is asked to leave, the Lakers will have their fourth coach in just over three years since Phil Jackson walked away from the team in 2011.

The Lakers’ decision on D’Antoni will be both a reaction to a miserable season and a reflection of the franchise’s ambition for the future.

With just three players under contract for next season and a top-10 pick in a strong draft, the Lakers’ reconfiguration will begin in earnest this summer, but it’s uncertain whether the team brass wants D’Antoni to return and lead it.

76ERS: Team owner Joshua Harris called the 19-win season a success.

Harris said he believes the Sixers successfully completed the first step of their painful rebuilding process. He said the Sixers need at least two to four elite players to become a contender, has faith in General Manager Sam Hinkie and gave first-year coach Brett Brown high grades for leadership under trying circumstances.

Advertisement

SUNS: General Manager Ryan McDonough is confident about retaining restricted free agent Eric Bledsoe, who was noncommmittal this week when asked if he wanted to stay a Sun.

McDonough said the backcourt of Bledsoe and Goran Dragic “is among the NBA’s best’” and that the Suns hope to work out a deal before free agency begins.

WARRIORS: Jermaine O’Neill will start in place of injured center Andrew Bogut for Game 1 of Golden State’s opening-round series at Los Angeles against the Clippers.

GRIZZLIES: Nick Calathes, a 25-year-old rookie reserve point guard for Memphis, was suspended for 20 games for violating the NBA’s drug policy and will miss the first-round series against Oklahoma City.

He averaged 4.9 points and 2.9 assists in 71 games for the Grizzlies this season.


Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.