NEW YORK — The Sacramento Kings had better not mess this up.
When the Kings leapfrogged the draft order in Tuesday’s NBA draft lottery, the dark cloud hovering about the city’s Golden 1 Center lifted, at least for a moment, as the team secured its best chance at ending a 16-year playoff drought.
The basketball gods agreed and saw to it that the Kings’ 7.5% chance to move up in the draft would pan out: Sacramento lucked out and now owns pick No. 4, behind Orlando, Oklahoma City and Houston.