Damian Lillard and Andre Drummond named NBA Players of the Week
Tuesday 2 April 2019 05:46, UK
Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard has been named Western Conference Player of the Week while Detroit Pistons' Andre Drummond scooped Eastern Conference honours.
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard has been named NBA Western Conference Player of the Week for the week ending March 31. Lillard averaged 25.3 points (37.0 per cent FG, 30.3 per cent 3PT, 95.5 per cent FT), 5.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists for the week, guiding the Trail Blazers to a 3-1 record with wins over Brooklyn, Chicago and Atlanta.
With 31 points and 12 assists in a double-overtime victory over the Nets on March 25, Lillard recorded his 20th career game of at least 30 points and 10 assists, passing Clyde Drexler for the most such games in franchise history (19).
Lillard netted 36 points (13-25 FG, 4-10 3-PT, 6-6 FT), including 18 points in the first quarter, at Atlanta on March 29, leading Portland to their season-high sixth straight win. It was the 26th time this season that Lillard scored at least 30 points.
On the season, Lillard is averaging 26.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists and 1.1 steals. He ranks 10th in scoring, 13th in assists and third in free throw percentage among league leaders. In the last 12 games, Lillard has averaged 28.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, 8.9 assists and 1.1 steals.
He is tied for fourth in the league in assists during that span, is seventh in scoring, and sixth in three-pointers per game (3.6). It is the seventh time Lillard has taken home the weekly award, and the first time this season.
In the Eastern Conference, Detroit Pistons center Andre Drummond scooped player of the week honours.
This marks Drummond's second player-of-the-week award this season and second in the month of March (March 11). Drummond led the Pistons to a 2-1 week by averaging 17.7 points (60.5 per cent FG), 18.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 3.7 blocks and 2.3 steals per game.
He recorded double-doubles in all three games and 18-plus points and 18-plus rebounds in two-of-three games. In the other game, he finished with 13 points, 18 rebounds, three assists, two blocks and two steals.
In a win over Orlando on March 28, Drummond recorded 18 points, 18 rebounds, four assists, season-high-tying six blocks and one steal while shooting 9-10 from the field. He followed up that performance by going 9-13 from the field to finish with 22 points, 19 rebounds, four assists, four steals and three blocks in a 99-90 home win over the Portland Trail Blazers on March 30.
Drummond currently leads the NBA in rebounds per game (15.5) and double-doubles (64). He is also the only player in the NBA this season to rank in the top 10 in blocks per game (1.7) and steals per game (1.7).
