The Western Conference leading Nuggets and rapidly rising Knicks each claim individual accolades for driving team success, as Denver center Nikola Jokic and New York PG Jalen Brunson have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month for games played in February.
Jokic becomes the first player in Nuggets history to win the award in back-to-back months and it marks the sixth Player of the Month honor in his career, the most in franchise history.
The NBA’s back-to-back Kia Most Valuable Player averaged 22.6 points, 14.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists while shooting .642 from the field and .500 from three-point range in 11 games during February. He helped lead the Nuggets to a record of 9-2 in games in which he played, and they currently sit atop the Western Conference with a record of 44-19.
Jokic, 28, recorded eight triple-doubles in February including posting one in four of his last five games, adding to his league-leading 24 for the season. He joins Wilt Chamberlain as the only centers in NBA history to record eight or more triple doubles in a single month. The Nuggets are currently 24-0 this season when he records a triple double.
Brunson, whose team is riding a seven-game winning streak, finished the month with 27.3 points and 6.0 assists while shooting 42.6% from 3-point range and 52.9% overall. The Knicks went 9-2, finishing out with six straight wins that included defeats of the Celtics, Jazz and Nets.
Other nominees:
West: Anthony Davis (LAL), De’Aaron Fox (SAC), Damian Lillard (POR), Lauri Markkanen (UTA) and Klay Thompson (GSW)
East: Giannis Antetokounmpo (MIL), Joel Embiid (PHI), Donovan Mitchell (CLE), Julius Randle (NYK), Pascal Siakam (TOR) and Trae Young (ATL)
