Lakers big man Anthony Davis has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Month for games played in March and April, while Sixers center Joel Embiid has earned the honor in the Eastern Conference, the NBA announced today (via Twitter).
Davis was limited to 56 total games this season due to injuries, but he appeared in 18 of the Lakers’ 20 contests in March/April, averaging 26.2 points, 12.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 35.5 minutes per night.
Los Angeles had a 13-5 record in those games despite missing LeBron James for many of them. Davis’ strong play down the stretch helped the Lakers – who were in 12th place in the West at the end of February – move up to No. 7, securing the most favorable slot in the play-in tournament.
Embiid, who was also the East’s Player of the Month in both December and January, earned the honor a third time by capping an MVP-caliber season with 33.3 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.9 blocks in 33.4 minutes per game across 18 contests in March and April. Philadelphia went 12-6 in those games.
Embiid was the only player to earn three Player of the Month awards this season. Another MVP contender, Nuggets star Nikola Jokic, won it twice in the West, but no other player in either conference was named Player of the Month more than once.
Devin Booker, Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson, and Domantas Sabonis were the other Player of the Month nominees in the West, per the NBA, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Mikal Bridges, Zach LaVine, Donovan Mitchell, and Jayson Tatum were nominated in the East (Twitter links).