John Wall, Karl-Anthony Towns named Players of the Week

NEW YORK -- The Washington Wizards’ John Wall and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 6 through Sunday, March 12.

Wall led the Wizards to a 4-0 week, with all of Washington’s wins coming on the road. He paced the East in scoring (29.8 ppg) and assists (11.3 apg) while adding 3.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals. On March 7, the 26-year-old recorded 25 points, 14 assists, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 131-127 victory over the Phoenix Suns. On March 11, Wall tallied 39 points and nine assists as Wizards erased a 21-point halftime deficit in a 125-124 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Towns averaged 29.0 points (fourth in the West) on 63.3 percent shooting and 12.3 rebounds (tied for fourth) as the Timberwolves went 2-1. On March 8, he scored 29 points on 14-for-21 shooting and added 14 rebounds in a 107-91 win over the L.A. Clippers. On March 11, the 21-year-old scored a game-high 35 points on 14-for-21 shooting to go with 14 rebounds and two blocks in 102-95 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. It was the 13th time this season that Towns has scored at least 30 points.

Here is a recap of the week for Wall and Towns:

John Wall, Washington Wizards

March 7 @ Phoenix: Finished with 25 points, 14 assists, four rebounds, three steals and two blocks in a 131-127 win over the Suns.
March 8 @ Denver: Posted 30 points and 10 assists in a 123-113 win over the Nuggets.
March 10 @ Sacramento: Scored 25 points and added 12 assists in a 130-122 win over the Kings.
March 11 @ Portland: Poured in 39 points on 13-of-23 shooting in a 125-124 overtime win over the Trail Blazers.

Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves

March 8 vs. LA Clippers: Tallied 29 points, 14 rebounds and two assists in a 107-91 victory over the Clippers.
March 10 vs. Golden State: Recorded 23 points, nine rebounds, two blocks and two assists in a 103-102 victory over the Warriors.
March 11 @ Milwaukee: Finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and two blocks in a 102-95 loss to the Bucks.  

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Atlanta’s Dennis Schröder, Detroit’s Andre Drummond, Houston’s James Harden, Indiana’s Paul George, Miami’s Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Philadelphia’s Dario Saric, Phoenix’s Devin Booker, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Washington’s Bradley Beal.

Charlotte’s Walker and San Antonio’s Leonard named Players of the Week

NEW YORK – The Charlotte Hornets’ Kemba Walker and the San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 27 through Sunday, March 5.

Walker averaged 27.7 points (third in the East), 6.3 assists (tied for fifth in the East), 4.3 rebounds and 1.33 steals for the week as the Hornets went 2-1.  The All-Star guard opened the week by recording 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds and hitting the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:55 to play in a 109-104 victory at the Los Angeles Lakers.  On March 4, he scored a team-high 27 points and added four assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 112-102 road win over the Denver Nuggets.

Leonard led the Spurs to a 3-0 week behind averages of 32.0 points (second in the West), 9.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a league-best 4.0 steals.  On March 1, he hit the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds remaining to cap a 31-point outing in a 100-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers.  The All-Star forward closed the week with 34 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a season-high six steals in a 97-90 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 4.  That performance marked his 90th straight game with at least 10 points, the longest streak by a Spur since Tim Duncan’s 91-game run ended in 2003.

Here is a recap of the week for Walker and Leonard:

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets

Feb. 28 @ L.A. Lakers: Recorded 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a 109-104 victory over the Lakers.

March 2 @ Phoenix: Finished with 26 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 120-103 loss to the Suns.

March 4 @ Denver: Posted 27 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 112-102 victory over the Nuggets.

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

March 1 vs. Indiana: Scored the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds left during a 31-point, 10-rebound effort in a 100-99 win over the Pacers.

March 3 @ New Orleans: Recorded 31 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 101-98 overtime victory over the Pelicans.

March 4 vs. Minnesota: Contributed 34 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and six steals in a 97-90 overtime win over the Timberwolves.

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Dallas’ Seth Curry, New Orleans’ DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Phoenix’s Tyler Ulis, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan and Washington’s Bradley Beal and Bojan Bogdanovic.

Cavaliers’ LeBron James and Clippers’ Blake Griffin named NBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK – The Cleveland Cavaliers’ LeBron James and the LA Clippers’ Blake Griffin today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 6 through Sunday, Feb. 12.

James averaged 25.5 points, 11.3 assists (second in the East and the NBA) and 5.8 rebounds for the week as the Cavaliers went 3-1.  In a 140-135 overtime victory against the Washington Wizards on Feb. 6, James set a career high with 17 assists, scored 32 points and made a turnaround, fadeaway three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left to force overtime.  James, who scored at least 25 points in three of four games and posted two double-doubles, shot 58.0 percent from the field and 60.0 percent from three-point range.

Griffin led the Clippers to a 2-1 week behind averages of 26.0 points, 10.3 rebounds and 8.0 assists (tied for fourth in the West).  In just his sixth game since returning from knee surgery, Griffin posted a triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and a career-high-tying 11 assists in a 118-109 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Feb. 6.  He shot 49.2 percent from the field for the week, including 4-of-8 from three-point range, and totaled 24 assists and only three turnovers.

Here is a recap of the week for James and Griffin:

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Feb. 6 @ Washington: Set a career high with 17 assists and scored 32 points in a 140-135 overtime win against the Wizards.

Feb. 8 @ Indiana: Finished with 25 points, nine assists and six rebounds in a 132-117 win over the Pacers.

Feb. 11 vs. Denver: Posted 27 points, 12 assists and five rebounds in a 125-109 win over the Nuggets.

Blake Griffin, LA Clippers

Feb. 6 @ Toronto: Registered a triple-double with 26 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists in a 118-109 loss to the Raptors.

Feb. 8 @ New York: Recorded 32 points, eight rebounds and five assists in a 119-115 win over the Knicks.

Feb. 11 @ Charlotte: Contributed 20 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists in a 107-102 victory against the Hornets.

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Golden State’s Kevin Durant, Houston’s James Harden, Miami’s Goran Dragic and James Johnson, Philadelphia’s Dario Saric, Utah’s Gordon Hayward and Washington’s Bradley Beal.