[bears9]

DEERFIELD, Ill. (AP)—John Paxson was upstairs in his bedroom when he heard his sons Ryan and Drew scream. Moments later, they dragged him downstairs to watch the draft lottery.

The Bulls had just vaulted from the ninth pick into the top three, and what looked like a rather mundane drawing to Chicago’s general manager took an interesting twist. Then, they hit the jackpot and wound up with the No. 1 pick despite a 1.7 percent chance Tuesday. That means they will likely choose between Derrick Rose or Michael Beasley, barring a knockout trade offer.

“I was kinda shocked,” Paxson said Wednesday. “When I saw the third pick go, I was like, ‘Oy.’ If you get your hopes up, it’s wasted energy.”

And suddenly, after a dismal season, the Bulls’ hopes are high again.

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