The 2020 NBA lottery: A real-time diary

Photo by Randy Belice/NBAE via Getty ImagesThe first lottery diary I wrote was in 2015. That night the Knicks fell two spots and the Minnesota Timberwolves won the top pick. Last night the Knicks fell two spots and the Minnesota Timberwolves won the top pick. The results were the same; only how we got there differed. That’s the epitaph for most Knicks seasons this century. Let’s muddle our way through.

8:30

The lottery is on hold while Milwaukee finishes dusting off Orlando in Game 2 of their series. These two playoff teams offer Knicks fans reasons to rationalize why the high end of the lottery is no salvation. The Magic were in the lottery six years in a row, from 2013-2018. The only…