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In 1969, they lost the coin flip with Milwaukee for Lew Alcindor, now known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and chose Neal Walk at No. 2. The closest they came was Alvan Adams, an All-Star on some very good teams. Shaquille O’Neal made a cameo appearance late in his career.

But a big, young franchise center to build around eluded them – until now.

With the first overall pick in the draft for the first time in franchise history, the Suns believe they have their man in 7-foot-1, 250-pound Deandre Ayton, whose size, athleticism and multiple skills made him the obvious No. 1 overall pick Thursday night.

Suns general manager Ryan McDonough called it ”a historic night for the franchise.”

There was a big cheer from the crowd gathered at Talking Stick Resort Arena for a party to celebrate the highest pick in franchise history. They’ve chosen second overall twice.

”Having my name called to be the first pick for the Phoenix Suns was mind-blowing,” Ayton said. ”Having all the confidence and leading up to that point when I saw (NBA Commissioner) Adam Silver came out http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-albert-wilson-jersey , I was just waiting for my name, and when he called it, my mind went blank. … and I saw the reaction on my mom’s face. It was just priceless.”

The Suns also got the 10th overall pick, moving up six spots in a trade with Philadelphia to get guard/forward Mikal Bridges of Villanova. Phoenix sent the No. 16 pick, guard Zhaire Smith of Texas Tech, to the 76ers along with Miami’s unprotected first-round pick in 2021.

Ayton will join Devin Booker and Josh Jackson as the core of young talent that the Suns hope will pull them out of their long decline. Phoenix has missed the playoffs the last eight seasons and their 21-61 record last season was the worst in the NBA and second-worst in franchise history.

”The team in general is a very young and hungry team,” Ayton said. ”We just have to stick together, get a great chemistry and start a winning legacy in Phoenix.”

In Brooklyn for the announcement, Ayton wore a sports jacket with an array of colors on the inside lining.

”There’s a few flags in there,” Ayton said. ”My dad is from Nigeria, my mom is Jamaican and Bahamian http://www.ramsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-john-franklin-myers-jersey , so I’m helping all those countries in one. I’m not just a Bahamian. I’m Nigerian and Jamaican. So I just want to let the world know that.”

Ayton was born in the Bahamas but left at age 12, a basketball prodigy who stayed in several Southern California homes and played with various basketball programs, including a season as a teammate of Marvin Bagley III at Hillcrest Prep in Phoenix.

Ayton, a month shy of his 20th birthday, was the Pac-12 player of the year at Arizona last season, averaging 20.1 points and 11.6 rebounds per game. But the Wildcats made an early exit in the NCAA Tournament, losing to Buffalo. Ayton also had to tune out the noise from a federal investigation that ensnared an Arizona assistant coach.

But he emerged above the rest in the pre-draft process.

Ayton worked out for only one team, the Suns, and turned on the charm with the media afterward.

Don’t worry, Ayton assured everyone that day, ”I know I’m going No. 1.”

That workout Minkah Fitzpatrick Color Rush Jersey , McDonough said, was the deal-maker.

”He was first on our board coming into the workout,” McDonough said, ”and then he blew us away in the workout, which I think you guys probably gathered from my tone. I’m usually pretty stoic but I was watching a workout that just was incredible.”

McDonough called Ayton ”just a phenomenal physical talent. Watching him play and then working him out and interacting with him just checked every box for us.”

The 6-foot-7 Bridges is a bonus, a third-team All-American and a member of the 2018 all-Final Four team. When the 76ers drafted him, it looked like a feel-good hometown story since he’s from Philadelphia and his mother Tyneeha Rivers was vice president for human resources for the 76ers.

Bridges even appeared at a news conference to talk about staying in Philadelphia.

But the Suns wanted him badly and kept pushing for the deal. Finally, the 76ers agreed and Bridges was bound for the desert.

He said there were no hard feelings about the trade.

”I’m excited. It’s a business and you’ve got a lot of talent going down there,” Bridges said. ”I can’t wait to start this up.”

With the 31st pick in the draft, the first in the second round, Phoenix chose point guard Elie Okobo of France Dorian O'Daniel Color Rush Jersey , a 20-year-old sharpshooter who scored 44 in a French playoff game. And with the 59th pick – next-to-last overall – the Suns selected forward George King of Colorado.

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Victor Oladipo scored 28 points and posted the first postseason triple-double of his career Friday night, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 121-87 blowout over the Cleveland Cavaliers to even the series at three.

Game 7 will be played Sunday in Cleveland.

The three-time defending Eastern Conference champs again were led by LeBron James with 22 points, seven assists and five rebounds despite sitting out the entire fourth quarter. Nobody else scored more than 13 points as the Cavaliers lost their first closeout game in 14 tries dating to 2009. James had won 11 consecutive closeout games and is 12-0 all-time in the first-round series.

Kevin Love hurt his left wrist on a hard fall midway through the second quarter and wound up scoring just seven points while shooting 3 of 10 from the field.

JAZZ 96, THUNDER 91

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) – Donovan Mitchell scored 38 points and Utah held off Oklahoma City in Game 6 to advance to the Western Conference semifinals.

Russell Westbrook had 46 points for the Thunder and Steven Adams added 19 points and 16 rebounds.

The rookie and the MVP went back and forth in the second half, with Mitchell and the Jazz moving on to face the top-seeded Houston Rockets in a series that starts Sunday.

Derrick Favors scored 13 points and Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz, who lost starting point guard Ricky Rubio to a left hamstring injury in the first quarter.

RAPTORS 102, WIZARDS 92

WASHINGTON (AP) – Toronto overcame a halftime deficit in a road playoff game for the first time in 24 tries, using 24 points from Kyle Lowry and a tremendous effort from its finally whole second unit to beat Washington in Game 6 and end the Eastern Conference first-round series.

Toronto trailed by as many as 12 points in the first quarter and was down 53-50 at the end of the second. The Raptors‘ first lead did not come until the third quarter, and they were back down by five points entering the final period.

But with star guards Lowry and DeMar DeRozan, who had a personal series-low 16 points, resting to begin the fourth Kalen Ballage Color Rush Jersey , reserves led by point guard Fred VanVleet turned around the game. Bothered by a bad right shoulder, VanVleet had played a total of three minutes in the series until Friday, but he was just what Toronto needed in this game, with five points, four assists and four rebounds

John Wall had 23 points and eight assists in Game 6. Bradley Beal led Washington with 32 points. But the Wizards‘ run of eight home playoff wins in a row came to a close.