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Cavaliers own No. 1 pick in draft for first time since '03

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the draft lottery last night in Secaucus, N.J., and earned the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, 1 year after losing LeBron James.

The Cleveland Cavaliers won the draft lottery last night in Secaucus, N.J., and earned the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, 1 year after losing LeBron James.

Represented by 14-year-old Nick Gilbert, the son of owner Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers got a huge jump on their rebuilding when a pick they got from the Clippers in a midseason trade moved up from the No. 8 spot to the top.

They will pick first for the first time since 2003, when they drafted James.

Minnesota will pick second and Utah turned New Jersey's pick from the Deron Williams trade into the No. 3 selection.

The Timberwolves continued their unbelievable lottery losing streak, falling to 0-for-14 and dropping for the eighth time. They had a 25 percent chance of winning after finishing with a league-worst 17-65 record.

Meanwhile, deputy commissioner Adam Silver disclosed that the league and the players have agreed to hold 2 days of extensive meetings in early June to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. The talks will be held in the city of the Western Conference champion, either Dallas or Oklahoma City.

"The throttle is down," said Silver, speaking at a news conference before the draft lottery. "We realize time is short. Both sides are very aware what has happened in the NFL and the disruption to their business caused by the work stoppage. Both the owners and the union want to avoid that at all cost. We're determined to make progress between now and the end of June."

The lead negotiators for the two sides met Friday in New York City, where Silver spoke with Gary Hall, the lead attorney at the players' association. Hall died unexpectedly on Sunday at 67.

In other news:

* Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers is recovering from surgery to remove a benign polyp from his throat. The team said doctors told Rivers that he is cancer free.

* Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird said interim coach Frank Vogel, Mike Brown and Rick Adelman are among candidates he wants to talk to for the head coaching position. Bird said Vogel is the front-runner.

* Toronto Raptors president and general manager Bryan Colangelo agreed to a multiyear contract extension.