Indiana
Jazz Lottery Odds Take Major Step Forward After Pacers Loss
The Utah Jazz have undoubtedly suffered from their fair share of struggles across the 2024-25 season, but their worst year in franchise history is starting to unravel into paying major dividends.
Now following the Jazz’s recent loss vs. the Indiana Pacers, Utah is locked into their top spot of 14.0% odds to land the number-one overall pick, while also guaranteeing themselves a 52.1% chance at securing a top-four selection.
With tonight’s loss, the Jazz are guaranteed a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick and a 52.1% chance at a top-4 pick.
— Ryan Miller (@millerjryan) April 5, 2025
It’s a huge win for the Jazz despite their season of abundant losses. Some entered the year skeptical of whether Utah would truly dive into the tanking process from the year’s start to finish, but Will Hardy and his group have accomplished the franchise’s big picture task at hand by bottoming out, and guaranteeing themselves some of the best odds for next month’s draft lottery.
The clear prize once the ping-pong balls bounce is clearly Duke’s star projected number one pick Cooper Flagg, and the Jazz will be tied among the three total teams with the best chance to land him. However, there’s many other strong prospects to keep an eye on atop the draft, such as names like Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey, Tre Johnson, and VJ Edgecombe who sit as the most likely candidates to find themselves within the top five.
For the remainder of Utah’s four games on the season, they’ll still have room for growth in maximizing their lottery odds as well. If the Jazz finish with the NBA’s worst record in the league, it’ll effectively make their worst-case scenario fall to the fifth overall pick if the ping-pong balls fall in such a way.
During a draft that looks centered around its top five prospects, securing that guaranteed top-five lottery placement could be notable. Currently, Utah is 1.5 games ahead of the second-worst Washington Wizards squad, so signs are pointing in the right direction with two weeks to go.
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On this episode of “Week in Review,” we cover the Indiana gambling case, the Bears’ 2026 schedule release and the Bulls landing the No. 4 draft pick. We also look at Jim’s Original moving after 85 years and Chicago Fire FC’s new McDonald’s Park stadium name. Plus, Cole Kmet joins Cop on a Rooftop, a White Sox phenom goes one on one and more top stories from around Chicago.
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) — More than 50 Indiana law enforcement agencies are taking to the roof to help local athletes.
Police and safety officers will be stationed around various Dunkin’ Donuts, taking up donations for the Special Olympics. People who monetarily donate will receive a coupon for a free donut. Those who donate $10 or more will receive a coupon for a free medium hot coffee.
“Supporting the Special Olympics isn’t just an event for us — it’s a commitment to people who inspire us every day,” Sergeant Wes Rowlader said. “These athletes show what determination, courage, and community truly look like. Every dollar we raise helps transform that spirit into training, competition, and lifelong confidence.”
More than 20,000 Hoosier athletes train and compete for free within the Special Olympics. To date, Cop on a Rooftop has raised more than $125,000 for Special Olympics Indiana.
The Indiana State Police will be at the Dunkin’ Donuts at 9821 Lima Road in Fort Wayne from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Friday.
A man’s family is demanding answers after he was shot by a security guard inside a hospital emergency room waiting area on Tuesday night in Gary, Indiana.
Methodist Northlake Hospital officials said, around midnight Tuesday night, its security staff responded quickly after a patient took out a gun. The hospital said he’d threatened to shoot himself or others.
The hospital commended the security guard who shot the man for “neutralizing the threat and helping ensure the safety of our patients and employees.”
Family members identified the man who was shot as Otis Brown. They said he is a kind father to a 12-year-old boy.
“Just a great person, a happy-go-lucky, always out there trying to do the right thing,” said his fiancée, Stacey Taylor.
Taylor said she was on a business trip when she got a call that Brown had been shot multiple times.
“Scared, uncertainty; you know, what story is right? You know, what happened?” she said.
After he was shot, Brown was taken to University of Chicago Medical Center for treatment.
Taylor said she had no idea why Brown went to Methodist Northlake Hospital in the first place. His family said he was trying to leave the hospital when the shooting happened, claiming that the hospital gave him his gun back after he was cleared to leave.
“We just want to get answers, just want to know what happened, particularly when people are defaming his name,” Taylor said.
She and Brown’s family hope the hospital has surveillance video footage that can help provide answers.
Gary police have not provided any details on the shooting. The Lake County Sheriff’s Department said it is investigating the shooting at the request of Gary police, but did not provide any further information.
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