NBA NEWS - NBA PLAYERS AND COACHES OF THE MONTH - April 2008

Hedo Toukolu NBA Eastern Player of the Month - NBA photo Kobe Bryant NBA Western Player of the Month - NBA photo Phil Jackson NBA Western Coach of the Month - NBA photo Doc Rivers NBA Eastern Coach of the Month - NBA photo

ORLANDO’S TURKOGLU AND L.A. LAKERS’ BRYANT NAMED NBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE MONTH - CELTICS’ RIVERS AND LAKERS’ JACKSON NAMED NBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE COACHES OF THE MONTH

NEW YORK,, NY USA - Saturday April 19, 2008

ORLANDO’S TURKOGLU AND L.A. LAKERS’ BRYANT NAMED NBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYERS OF THE MONTH

The Orlando Magic’s Hedo Turkoglu and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented respectively, for games played in April.

Turkoglu led the Magic to a 5-3 month, averaging 19.8 points on .504 shooting and 6.4 assists. Turkoglu led the Magic in scoring in five of the team’s eight games, while helping Orlando secure a No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs.

Bryant, who was fourth in the league in scoring this month, averaged 26.1 points to go along with 5.5 assists, helping the Lakers go 7-1 and earn the top spot in the Western Conference Playoffs. Bryant scored 20 or more points in seven of the team’s eight games, including two 30-plus point games. In a win over Portland on April 2, Bryant led the Lakers with 36 points and 13 rebounds. It was the second Player of the Month nod for Bryant this season.

Here is a closer look at the month for Turkoglu and Bryant:

Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic

April 1 vs. New Orleans: Netted 26 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a 98-97 loss to the Hornets.

April 5 @ Cleveland: Recorded 23 points, five assists, five rebounds, two steals and two blocks in a 101-86 win over the Cavaliers.

April 13 @ Chicago: Tallied 24 points, eights assists and three steals in a 104-84 win over the Bulls.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers

April 2 vs. Portland: Recorded 26 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and three steals in a 104-91 win over the Trail Blazers.

April 8 @ Portland: Netted 34 points, five rebounds and five assists in a 112-103 loss to the Trail Blazers.

April 11 vs. New Orleans: Tallied 29 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two steals in a 107-104 win over the Hornets.

Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors were Atlanta’s Joe Johnson, Boston’s Kevin Garnett, Charlotte’s Raymond Felton, Cleveland’s LeBron James, Denver’s Carmelo Anthony and Houston’s Tracy McGrady. The Eastern and Western Conference

Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors are part of a new series of on-court performance awards called “The NBA Performance Awards Presented by Kia Motors.” The awards, which are part of a multi-year marketing partnership between Kia Motors America and the NBA, include four of the NBA’s most prestigious year-end honors: Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man Award, and Most Improved Player. As part of its support of the Performance Awards, Kia Motors will donate a brand-new 2009 Kia Borrego seven-passenger SUV to the charity of choice of each of the four year-end award winners in 2008.

CELTICS’ RIVERS AND LAKERS’ JACKSON NAMED NBA EASTERN AND WESTERN CONFERENCE COACHES OF THE MONTH

The Boston Celtics’ Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Phil Jackson were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for regular season games played in April.

Rivers, who captures his third Coach of the Month award this season (October/November and March), guided the Celtics to an NBA-best 8-1 (.889) record in April. Rivers’ Celtics won an NBA-best 66 games in 2007-08 and are assured of homecourt advantage throughout the postseason. Boston, which enjoyed a 42-game turnaround this season compared to last, enters the playoffs on a four-game winning streak.

Jackson led the Lakers to a Western Conference-best 7-1 (.875) mark in April, including wins over Dallas, New Orleans and San Antonio. The Lakers, winners of 57 games this season, are the Western Conference’s top seed. Los Angeles, like Boston, enters the postseason on a four-game winning streak.

Other nominees for the Coach of the Month were Denver’s George Karl, Detroit’s Flip Saunders, Houston’s Rick Adelman, Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy, Utah’s Jerry Sloan and Washington’s Eddie Jordan.

(NBA)