The Phoenix Suns and New York Knicks will square off Wednesday night in Arizona in a rare late-season battle of the two teams vying for the worst record in the NBA.
But the Suns will be coming off a rarer and more noteworthy accomplishment. Both teams were off Tuesday after playing Monday, when the visiting Knicks fell to the Sacramento Kings 115-108, and the host Suns stunned the NBA-leading Milwaukee Bucks, 114-105.
Monday's results were notable for two reasons. The Knicks (13-51) moved past the Suns (14-51) in the "race" for the NBA's worst record, though they are both in position to have the same odds of winning the draft lottery on May 14. The teams with the three worst records will all have a 14 percent chance of coming out of the lottery with the top pick, and the opportunity to select Duke star Zion Williamson.
In addition, the victory by the Suns completed a surprising season sweep of the Bucks. Phoenix earned a 116-114 win in Milwaukee on Nov. 23, which immediately preceded a 10-game losing streak.
Since the 2009-10 season, only one team with the worst record in the NBA managed to sweep the season series from a team that finished with a winning record. The 2012-13 Orlando Magic swept a two-game series from the Golden State Warriors, who finished 47-35. >> Read More
Copyright 2019 by the Associated Press
