NBA Lottery Battle: Lakers Win Over Sixers Could Cost Them Draft Pick

In a battle of lottery-bound squads, the Los Angeles Lakers won over the Philadelphia 76ers, 113-111 in overtime on Monday night but maybe they shouldn’t have as potentially the victory could cost them a chance of a higher pick in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft set in June later this year.

Rookie point guard Jordan Clarkson hit the game-winner with 0.7 seconds left, the crucial basket part of his game-high 26 points from an efficient 9-of-15 field goal shooting. Clarkson also had 11 assists and 3 steals to continue his late run of good games in his first year in the league.

The Sixers were poised to force a second overtime thanks to jumper from their own rookie Nerlens Noel, who finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds. But Clarkson had other plans and gave the Lakers its 20th victory in 63 games this season. Los Angeles now ranks fourth-worst overall in the league standings and Philadelphia (18-57) dropped to third-worst.

With more or less 10 games to go in the regular season for most teams, the Lakers are just one and a half game behind the also lottery-bound Orlando Magic (22-52). The Lakers will lose a first round pick in the draft— curiously, to be sent to Philadelphia in a recent trade— if they fall out of of a top 5 selection.

As for the game itself, Noel hit a pair of free throws with 17 seconds to go in the regulation period but Clarkson also hit both when he was sent to the line with 11 seconds to go to tie the game at 102 apiece. Wayne Ellington added 20 points and Ryan Kelly contributed 16 markers for the Lakers. For the Sixers, Ish Smith finished with 17 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists and Isaiah Canaan came off the bench to add 18 points and 3 steals.

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