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NHL News: Voters reject proposal to build Coyotes’ new arena in Tempe

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May 17, 2023

NHL News: Voters reject proposal to build Coyotes’ new arena in Tempe

Voters rejected three proposals that would have permitted the construction of a new arena for the Arizona Coyotes in Tempe, early polling results showed Tuesday.

Developers hoped to build a $2.3 billion entertainment district in Tempe, and by a 56-44 split in early returns, voters opposed the proposition. The complex would include the Coyotes’ new home in addition to retail, entertainment and residential space.

“We are very disappointed Tempe voters did not approve Propositions 301, 302, and 303. As Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said, it was the best sports deal in Arizona history,” Coyotes president and CEO Xavier A. Gutierrez said in a statement. “The Coyotes wish to thank everyone who supported our efforts and voted yes.

“So many community leaders stepped up and became our advocates and for that we are truly grateful. We also wish to thank the countless volunteers who worked so hard to try and make the Tempe Entertainment District a reality and the Tempe City Council for their support as well. While we wanted a different outcome, we remain grateful to all those who volunteered their time and talent.

“What is next for the franchise will be evaluated by our owners and the National Hockey League over the coming weeks.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement, “The National Hockey League is terribly disappointed by the results of the public referendum regarding the Coyotes’ arena project in Tempe. We are going to review with the Coyotes what the options might be going forward.”

Tempe voters were asked whether they were willing to amend the city’s plan for the project (Proposition 301) — that was to be built near Priest Drive and Rio Salado Parkway — if they approved of the rezoning of the property for the entertainment district (302) and whether to approve the project’s development agreement (303).

12News reported that 29,000 ballots had been counted as of 8 p.m. local time on Tuesday, with 56 percent of those ballots responding “no” to Propositions 301 and 302, while 57 percent of voters said “no” to Proposition 303.

The Coyotes played the just-concluded season in Mullett Arena, a 5,000-seat facility at Arizona State University in Tempe. They played from 2003-2022 in a 17,125-seat arena in Glendale, Ariz., before the city ended its agreement with the hockey team.

–Field Level Media

PGA News: Masters champ Jon Rahm staying even-keeled at PGA Championship

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May 17, 2023

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PGA News: Masters champ Jon Rahm staying even-keeled at PGA Championship

While it used to be a somewhat more common occurrence, only two golfers have managed to win consecutive majors since 2008.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland ended the 2014 major season with victories at the Open Championship and the PGA Championship; Jordan Spieth picked up where McIlroy left off in 2015 by winning the Masters and the U.S. Open.

Now the PGA Championship is the second major on the calendar, and Jon Rahm has arrived at Oak Hill Country Club in Pittsford, N.Y., trying to think about neither a potential career Grand Slam nor a major hangover.

“Obviously if I were to win this week or the Open Championship it really becomes a true reality, but winning two majors is not easy, and picking which ones you win is a little ludicrous to think about,” the Spaniard said. “I think obviously winning the Grand Slam would absolutely be amazing, but I think — without sounding too conceited or arrogant, I’d rather focus on the number of majors you win than having the Grand Slam, per se.”

Rahm captured his second major title last month when he won the Masters by four strokes over Phil Mickelson and Brooks Koepka. He also won the 2021 U.S. Open, as he has completed two legs of the career Grand Slam.

Rahm has performed like the best player in the world over a stretch of several months, so if he were to win the PGA this week, an ultra-rare true Grand Slam would be on the table.

Always a thoughtful character on tour, Rahm referred to a quote attributed to Arnold Palmer — “The road to success is always under construction” — and said it’s better for him not to enjoy things like the Masters for too long.

“Obviously it’s a big deal when you get to win (a major),” Rahm said. “Try to enjoy it as much as possible, I would say … I think try to enjoy it and process it as fast as you can might be the best way.

“But at the end of the day this is our job. You’re here to perform, so trying to focus on that, as well.”

Rahm might be well-suited for the task of blocking out distractions and noise, which has manifested in multiple ways.

McIlroy, for one, long took a front-and-center position in defending the PGA Tour and criticizing the players and financiers of LIV Golf, the Saudi-funded breakaway league. This week, McIlroy told reporters he will intentionally avoid speaking about LIV while he focuses on his game and trying to end his nine-year major drought.

Rahm, though, has never gotten in the middle of the LIV-PGA feud. He gave a clear explanation of why he’d remain with the PGA Tour last year, but he’s maintained friendships and working relationships with many of the players who defected to LIV.

“I’ve never had any negative feelings towards any player that went over to LIV,” Rahm said. “In fact, I’ve mentioned many times I still play with many of them and still try to figure out — try to play practice rounds with Phil, played with Talor Gooch yesterday. Really doesn’t make a difference to me.”

–Field Level Media

PGA News: Golf Glance: PGA Championship returns to iconic Oak Hill

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May 17, 2023

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PGA News: Golf Glance: PGA Championship returns to iconic Oak Hill

Field Level Media’s Golf Glance provides weekly news and storylines from each of the major North American golf tours.

PGA TOUR
LAST TOURNAMENT: AT&T Byron Nelson (Jason Day)
THIS WEEK: PGA Championship, Rochester, N.Y., May 18-21
Course: Oak Hill Country Club, East Course (Par 70, 7,394 yards)
Purse: $15M
Defending Champion: Justin Thomas
FedEx Cup leader: Jon Rahm
HOW TO FOLLOW:
TV: Thursday-Friday, 1-7 p.m. ET (ESPN); Saturday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. (ESPN), 1-7 p.m. (CBS)
Streaming on ESPN+: Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-1 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 8-10 a.m.
Twitter: @PGAChampionship
NOTES: Oak Hill will play host to its seventh major championship but first since the 2013 PGA Championship won by Jason Dufner. The Donald Ross-designed course underwent a complete renovation by Andrew Green in 2020. It will play about 250 yards longer than it did 10 years ago and includes three completely new holes. … Only seven players in this week’s 156-player field remain from the 2003 PGA at Oak Hill won by Shaun Micheel. … Only once in the past decade has the Wanamaker Trophy been won by a player ranked outside of the Top 50 in the world. That was in 2020 by Collin Morikawa, who enters this week ranked No. 16. … Jordan Spieth will make another attempt to become only the sixth player to win the career Grand Slam. However, he did withdraw from last week’s Byron Nelson due to a wrist injury and missed the cut in his PGA Championship debut in ’13. … Nico Echavarria and Ben Griffin are among 16 players making their major championship debuts. … World No. 4 Patrick Cantlay is the highest-ranked player yet to win a major. … Brooks Koepka holds the tournament scoring record of 264 set at Bellerive in 2018. … Four-time PGA Championship winner Tiger Woods is not in the field after undergoing ankle surgery last month. Will Zalatoris, who lost to Thomas in a playoff last year, is the only top 100 player not in this week’s field as he recovers from back surgery. … 2011 Korn Ferry Tour Player of the year J.J. Killeen is one of 20 players who qualified through the PGA Professional Championship.
BEST BETS: Scottie Scheffler (+750 at BetMGM) finished T5 last week and has a pair of top-10s in three previous PGA Championship starts. He has a streak of 12 consecutive finishes of T12 or better on tour, including a win at The Players. … Jon Rahm (+800) is attempting to become the first player to win consecutive majors since Spieth in 2015. He’s coming off a runner-up at the Mexico Open and has also won two other designated events this year. … Rory McIlroy (+1400) is seeking to end a nine-year major drought but has claimed two of his four majors at the PGA. His wife, Erica, is from Rochester and he is an honorary member at Oak Hill. … Koepka (+2200) has been in good form on LIV Golf and finished second at the Masters after entering the final round with the lead. He also has won two of his four major titles at the PGA. … Thomas (+2200) is looking to become the first player to successfully defend a major since Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship. However, he has not won since last year’s PGA Championship and missed the cut at the Masters. … Dustin Johnson (+2500) is coming off a win at LIV Golf Tulsa.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Charles Schwab Challenge, Fort Worth, Texas, May 25-28

LPGA Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Cognizant Founders Cup (Jin Young Ko)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: Bank of Hope LPGA Match-Play, Las Vegas, May 24-28

Champions Tour
LAST TOURNAMENT: Regions Tradition (Steve Stricker)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship, Frisco, Texas, May 25-28

LIV Golf
LAST TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf Tulsa (Individual: Dustin Johnson; Team: Stinger GC)
THIS WEEK: OFF.
NEXT TOURNAMENT: LIV Golf D.C., Sterling, Va., May 26-28

–Field Level Media

NFL News: Broncos sign QB Ben DiNucci, XFL’s leading passer

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May 17, 2023

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NFL News: Broncos sign QB Ben DiNucci, XFL’s leading passer

The Denver Broncos signed quarterback Ben DiNucci and running back Jacques Patrick on Tuesday, adding two players who most recently starred in the XFL.

DiNucci was the XFL’s leading passer, racking up 2,671 passing yards with 20 touchdowns and 13 interceptions for the Seattle Sea Dragons. He led Seattle to one of four playoff spots in the inaugural season of the “XFL 3.0.”

DiNucci, 26, spent 2021-22 with the Dallas Cowboys before being waived by them ahead of the 2022 seasons. He started one game in 2020 while Dak Prescott and Andy Dalton were injured. In three career NFL games (all during 2020), DiNucci has thrown for 219 yards without a touchdown or a pick.

Patrick, playing for the San Antonio Brahmas, ranked second in the XFL with 443 rushing yards on 115 carries. He scored five touchdowns and added 30 receptions for 238 yards.

Patrick, 26, played in two games for the San Francisco 49ers in 2021 and got two carries for 12 yards.

–Field Level Media

NFL News: Davante Adams glad to prove he ‘didn’t need Aaron Rodgers’

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May 17, 2023

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NFL News: Davante Adams glad to prove he ‘didn’t need Aaron Rodgers’

Las Vegas Raiders star wideout Davante Adams feels he’s proven that he is his own person — not defined by the quarterback throwing the ball to him, he told The Ringer in an interview published Tuesday.

The longtime Green Bay Packers teammate of Aaron Rodgers was traded to the Raiders before the 2022 season after the sides could not agree to a long-term contract. Catching passes from former college teammate Derek Carr instead of Rodgers, Adams earned his sixth straight Pro Bowl nod and third straight All-Pro selection. He recorded 100 receptions for 1,516 yards and a league-high 14 touchdowns.

Adams told The Ringer that Rodgers is “a hell of a quarterback” and said there remains a mutual respect between the former teammates. But to be named All-Pro without Rodgers throwing him the ball — and receiving much of the credit — meant a lot to Adams.

“It proved that I am me,” Adams said. “A quarterback doesn’t make me. … I make me. And I can do it consistently at this level.”

“That’s why (last) season meant a lot. Even if I went and played like dog (expletive) next year, they can’t say it. Because now I’ve already proved it throughout the course of a season, played every game, and put together a resume that says I do not need …

“You can erase all the numbers. You can just write in: He didn’t need Aaron Rodgers.”

Adams apparently wouldn’t have minded reuniting with Rodgers, either. Las Vegas released Carr this winter and needed a quarterback, with Rodgers linked as a potential fit.

“I would even go as far as trying to make it happen,” Adams told The Ringer.

But it didn’t happen, and Jimmy Garoppolo will be the Raiders’ starting quarterback in 2023.

In nine NFL seasons with the Packers (2014-21) and Raiders, Adams has tallied 769 receptions, 9,637 receiving yards and 87 touchdowns over 133 games (126 starts). He was Rodgers’ favorite weapon in Green Bay for years, as a narrative formed over time that the Packers weren’t doing enough to add to Rodgers’ arsenal and complement Adams.

Rodgers’ new team, the New York Jets, will visit the Raiders on “Sunday Night Football” on Nov. 12.

–Field Level Media

NFL News: Joe Burrow: Contract talks progressing with Bengals

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May 17, 2023

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NFL News: Joe Burrow: Contract talks progressing with Bengals

Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow said he and the team are in discussions on a long-term contract extension, and he sounded confident Tuesday about the progress of the negotiations.

Burrow, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2020 NFL Draft, is entering the final season of his four-year rookie deal, and the team has picked up his fifth-year option for $29.5 million in 2024. He’s in line for a contract extension along the lines of ones recently signed by Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts (five years, $255 million) or Baltimore’s Lamar Jackson (five years, $260 million).

The 26-year-old said he personally is part of the negotiations but didn’t want to divulge any specifics.

“I’m involved. That’s in the works,” Burrow told reporters in a news conference on Tuesday. “That’s not really something that I like to play out in the media. Just the way I think they want to do business, I want to do business, we prefer to keep that between us.”

He said the team is aware of what he desires.

“I’m pretty clear on what I want in the contract and what I think is best for myself and the team,” Burrow said. “So, we’re on the road to making that happen.”

Despite the huge extension he likely will secure, Burrow said he doesn’t want to sap up all the cap space for himself.

“It’s definitely — whenever you have guys on the team that need to be paid, that’s always on your mind,” Burrow said. “You want that to be a focal point. So, we’re working to make that happen.”

He added: “You’ve got to have good players. It doesn’t matter how good your quarterback is. If you don’t have good players around him, you’re not going to be a very good team.”

Burrow has led the Bengals to back-to-back AFC Championship games and to the Super Bowl after the 2021 season. He made his first Pro Bowl in 2022 after throwing for 4,475 yards with 35 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.

In 42 career games, Burrow has a 24-17-1 record as a starter. He’s completed 68.2 percent of his passes for 11,774 yards with 82 touchdowns and 31 interceptions.

–Field Levlve Media

OTHER News: Tire strategy leads Casey Kirwan to eNASCAR win at Darlington

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May 17, 2023

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OTHER News: Tire strategy leads Casey Kirwan to eNASCAR win at Darlington

With the cars in front of him either staying out or taking two tires, defending series champion Casey Kirwan used a four-tire pit stop under a late caution to overtake the field and win the 2023 eNASCAR Coca-Cola iRacing Series race at a virtual Darlington (S.C.) Raceway on Tuesday.

When a caution came out with 26 laps to go, race leader Garrett Lowe and second-place driver Malik Ray stayed out to maintain track position. Collin Bowden and Bobby Zalenski took two tires and came out third and fourth, respectively, leaving Kirwan the first car on fresh tires, restarting fifth with 23 laps to go.

After another caution put Kirwan’s No. 95 XSET Chevrolet fourth at the final restart with 17 laps to go, the Matthews, N.C., native was in the lead within two laps then held off a late charge from Nick Ottinger of Claremont, N.C.

“Obviously we came down pit road, tried to loosen this thing up as much as we could without doing too much to try and hold off Nick and (the rest of the top five),” said Kirwan, who won for the second time this season. “I was starting to hang on for dear life those last few laps.”

Ottinger, the 2020 series champion looking for his 20th career win, was closing in on Kirwan as the laps ticked down, but he ultimately finished 0.325 seconds back in his No. 25 William Byron Esports Chevy for second place.

“I could’ve navigated the positions a little bit better, second through fourth,” Ottinger said of his biggest challenge at the end of the race. “Secondly, I just needed to get around the 7 (Ray) a lot quicker. Casey was able to get around him while I was just stuck beside him side-by-side for two laps. So that hurt me a little bit more than I wanted to (and) used a little bit more of (my) tires trying to get by him.”

Michael Conti, another two-time winner this season, finished third in his No. 8 JR Motorsports Chevrolet, 1.671 seconds back. Graham Bowlin in the No. 48 Charlotte Phoenix Toyota took fourth, followed by Ray and his No. 7 Jim Beaver eSports Ford in fifth.

Kirwan, sporting a Tony Stewart throwback paint scheme for Darlington, sits third in the season standings at 216 points. Conti leads with 244 points, followed by Ottinger at 230, despite not winning a race yet this season. Ottinger’s eighth-place average finish is tied with Conti for the best mark in the series.

The series will return at virtual Charlotte Motor Speedway on May 30.

–Field Level Media

CSGO News: FaZe Clan, Breach, Apeks advance at BLAST.tv Paris Major

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May 17, 2023

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CSGO News: FaZe Clan, Breach, Apeks advance at BLAST.tv Paris Major

Apeks, Into the Breach and FaZe Clan won their do-or-die matches Tuesday to become the final three teams to advance to the Champions Stage at the BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 in France.

FaZe rallied from a map down to defeat Natus Vincere, ITB did the same to Fnatic and Apeks swept Ninjas in Pyjamas in Round 5, the final day of the Legends Stage.

Champions Stage action begins Thursday.

Apeks needed overtime to dispatch NiP 19-17 on Vertigo and 19-16 on Ancient. Norway’s Joakim “jkaem” Myrbostad led Apeks with 64 kills and a plus-13 kills-to-deaths differential.

Into the Breach lost the opening map to Fnatic, 16-12 on Inferno. However, ITB rebounded to win 16-8 on Overpass and 16-4 on Vertigo. Joey “CRUC1AL” Steusel of the Netherlands paced ITB with 58 kills and a plus-23 K-D differential.

Likewise, FaZe found themselves in major battle after dropping the first map — Overpass — to Natus Vincere, 16-13. FaZe responded with a 16-5 win on Mirage before taking Anubis in overtime, 22-19. Latvia’s Helvijs “broky” Saukants powered FaZe with 78 kills on a plus-28 differential.

The $1.25 million BLAST.tv Paris Major runs May 8-21, with 24 teams playing offline in Paris. The champion will earn not only a $500,000 payday and 3,500 BLAST Premier points, but also automatic qualification into both IEM Cologne 2023 and the BLAST Premier World Final.

The Challengers and Legends Stages used the Swiss System format, in which teams are divided after opening-match results into “high” and “low” matches. Elimination and advancement matches were best-of-three, and all other matches were best-of-one. The top eight teams in the Legends Stage advanced; the bottom eight were eliminated.

The Champions Stage will be a single-elimination bracket with all matches best-of-three. The final is scheduled for Sunday.

The Champions Stage begins Thursday with two matches:
–Heroic vs. FaZe Clan
–Into The Breach vs. Team Vitality

BLAST.tv Paris Major 2023 standings, prize pool, BLAST Premier points
1. $500,000, 3,500 points, IEM Cologne and BLAST Premier World Final
2. $170,000, 2,750 points
3-4. $80,000, 1,775 points
5-8. $45,000, 1,050 points
9-11. $20,000, no points — Natus Vincere, Fnatic, Ninjas in Pyjamas
12-14. $20,000, no points — ENCE, Bad News Eagles, G2 Esports
15-16. $20,000, no points — 9INE, FURIA Esports
17-19. $10,000, no points — FORZE Esports, Grayhound Gaming, paiN Gaming
20-22. $10,000, no points — Complexity Gaming, The MongolZ, OG
23-24. $10,000, no points — MOUZ, Fluxo

–Field Level Media

Report: UConn, Gonzaga to begin series in 2023-24

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May 17, 2023

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Report: UConn, Gonzaga to begin series in 2023-24

Defending national champion UConn will begin a multi-year nonconference series with Gonzaga in 2023-24, College Hoops Today reported Monday.

UConn will meet Gonzaga next season at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, home to the NHL’s Kraken and WNBA’s Storm. The 2024-25 return game will be played at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The dates and times of these games are not yet set.

The 2023-24 meeting figures to be a Top 25 game and serves as a rematch of last season’s Elite Eight, in which the Huskies whipped Gonzaga 82-54 in Las Vegas en route to their fifth national title.

Despite a target on the Huskies’ back, UConn coach Dan Hurley is not shying away from tough competition. Previous media reports revealed the Huskies will face North Carolina in the Jimmy V Classic at Madison Square Garden and headline the Empire Classic in a field that includes Indiana, Texas and Louisville.

The Huskies also drew a road trip to Kansas in the annual Big East-Big 12 Battle. That game will pit the two most recent national champions.

Gonzaga’s nonconference schedule includes a road game against Kentucky. The Bulldogs are slated to play in the Maui Invitational, and Kansas is one of the other teams in the prestigious November tournament.

–Field Level Media

Spurs win NBA draft lottery; Victor Wembanyama on the way

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May 17, 2023

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Spurs win NBA draft lottery; Victor Wembanyama on the way

The San Antonio Spurs may have lost 60 games this season, but they were huge winners Tuesday night in Chicago when they prevailed in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.

The Spurs were one of three teams with a 14 percent chance of landing the top pick in the NBA draft lottery and now will surely use the pick on Wembanyama, the 19-year-old French sensation, in the June 22 draft.

San Antonio has landed big-time stars with the No. 1 overall choice in the past, selecting David Robinson first in 1987 and Tim Duncan 10 years later.

“It’s a really special moment that I will remember for the rest of my life,” Wembanyama said from Paris on ESPN. “… I’m trying to win a ring ASAP.”

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama is considered the best NBA prospect since LeBron James went No. 1 overall in 2003.

“I might faint, I’m so excited,” Spurs managing partner Peter J. Holt said on ESPN’s broadcast. “The city of San Antonio, our fans, we just have so many people that love the Spurs. We’re pumped.”

The Charlotte Hornets will select second, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets. Houston also had a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery.

The Detroit Pistons, the third team with a 14 percent chance of landing the first pick, will choose fifth.

Scoot Henderson of G League Ignite and Alabama’s Brandon Miller are the leading candidates to be the No. 2 and 3 picks.

Wembanyama played his final regular-season game in France on Tuesday and scored 22 points as Boulogne-Levallois recorded a 93-85 win over Paris Basketball. He scored 14 of his points in the fourth quarter for the Metropolitans 92.

“He’s 19 and his life is going to totally change,” Metropolitans 92 coach Vincent Collet told reporters afterward.

Wembanyama will have to adjust to living in a foreign country as well as playing against the best men in the world. Though if he lands with the Spurs, he will be coached by legendary Hall of Famer Gregg Popovich.

“I can’t wait to meet the fans and the team I’m about to join in June,” Wembanyama said.

Only time will tell whether the Spurs hit the No. 1 overall pick jackpot again.

Robinson and Duncan are both members of the NBA’s 75th anniversary all-time team and have been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. They both were the key figures of numerous championship teams, with Duncan earning five title rings and Robinson winning two.

Spurs general manager Brian Wright, who was in the drawing room in Chicago, immediately felt the impact of winning the lottery.

“I’m excited for the city, for the franchise,” Wright told reporters. “Tonight was a great start. It’s the beginning, not the end. There is still a lot of work to do.”

San Antonio has missed the playoffs in four straight campaigns and the 22-60 record this season was the third-worst in franchise history.

The Orlando Magic own the sixth and 11th picks, the latter coming from the Chicago Bulls as part of the package for acquiring Nikola Vucevic in 2021.

The Indiana Pacers will pick seventh, followed by the Washington Wizards, Utah Jazz and Dallas Mavericks. Dallas landing the 10th pick was crucial for the franchise: If the pick had been 11th or lower, it would have gone to the New York Knicks as part of the 2019 deal for Kristaps Porzingis.

The Oklahoma City Thunder will select 12th, followed by the Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans.

–Field Level Media

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NHL News: Voters reject proposal to build Coyotes’ new arena in Tempe

PGA News: Masters champ Jon Rahm staying even-keeled at PGA Championship

PGA News: Golf Glance: PGA Championship returns to iconic Oak Hill

NFL News: Broncos sign QB Ben DiNucci, XFL’s leading passer

NFL News: Davante Adams glad to prove he ‘didn’t need Aaron Rodgers’

NFL News: Joe Burrow: Contract talks progressing with Bengals

OTHER News: Tire strategy leads Casey Kirwan to eNASCAR win at Darlington

CSGO News: FaZe Clan, Breach, Apeks advance at BLAST.tv Paris Major

Report: UConn, Gonzaga to begin series in 2023-24

Spurs win NBA draft lottery; Victor Wembanyama on the way

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