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Josh Richardson and DeMar DeRozan named NBA Players of the Week

Josh Richardson celebrates after scoring against Boston
Image: Josh Richardson celebrates after scoring against Boston

Josh Richardson of the Philadelphia 76ers has been named Eastern Conference Player of the Week with San Antonio Spurs forward DeMar DeRozan earning the honour in the West.

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Richardson scooped the first Player of the Week of his career as he helped the Sixers to a 2-1 record in games played January 6-12 - including wins over the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics - while posting a team-high 22.7 points per game.

For the week, Richardson connected on better than 50 per cent of his shots from the field (24-of-47) and scored 16-plus in each of the three contests.

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At home against Oklahoma City, Richardson notched a team-high 23 points (9-of-17 from the field) and added four assists as the 76ers earned a 120-113 win, snapping a 10-game home losing streak against the Thunder.

He followed up on Thursday with a 29-point (9-of-16 from the field), seven-assist outing against Atlantic Division rivals Boston. In that game, Richardson knocked down each of his career-high 10 free-throw attempts as the 76ers clinched the season series over the Celtics for the first time since 2013-14.

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Highlights of the Boston Celtics' visit to the Philadelphia 76ers in Week 12 of the NBA season

Richardson, who was acquired in an offseason trade with Miami, has appeared in 32 games (all starts) for the 76ers this season, averaging 15.5 points, 3.3rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.0 steals in 32.1 minutes per contest. He has scored in double figures 24 times and reached the 20-point mark on eight occasions, including twice over the past week.

The former Tennessee Volunteer is the Sixers' first Player of the Week winner this season and the first since Ben Simmons earned the award in March last season.

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DeMar DeRozan rises to the rim against the Raptors
Image: DeMar DeRozan rises to the rim against the Raptors

San Antonio Spurs forward DeRozan was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played January 6-12.

This marks the first time DeRozan has been named Player of the Week since joining the Spurs in 2018. He won the East Player of the Week award 10 times as a member of the Toronto Raptors.

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DeRozan averaged 29.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.00 steals in 34.8 minutes for the week, while shooting 62.9 per cent (39-of-62) from the field and 90.2 per cent (37-of-41) from the foul line. He was the only player in the NBA to average 25-plus points, six-plus rebounds and six-plus assists while shooting better than 60 percent for the week.

DeRozan led the team in scoring in all four of the Spurs' Week 12 games and helped his team go 3-1 for the week with victories against three of the top four teams in the Eastern Conference.

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DeMar DeRozan fired for 30 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a resounding win over the Boston Celtics.

DeRozan started off the week by scoring 25 points to go along with seven assists and three rebounds in 33 minutes in a 126-104 win against Milwaukee on January 6. Two nights later he finished with 31 points, six rebounds and four assists in 34 minutes in a 129-114 victory at Boston.

On Friday, DeRozan tied his season-high with 36 points, nine assists and seven rebounds in 38 minutes in a 121-134 loss at Memphis. To finish out the week, DeRozan scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half to help the Spurs overcome an 18-point second-half deficit for a 105-104 victory at Toronto.

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Over his last 11 games, DeRozan has scored 20-or-more points, handed out three-or-more assists and shot better than 52.0 per cent in each game. He joins Michael Jordan (12) and LeBron James (11) as the only players to accomplish this feat in the last 35 years.

DeRozan is one of just two players in the NBA this season averaging at least 20.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting better than 50.0 per cent from the field in 2019-20, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo.

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DeRozan is averaging a team-best 22.4 points to go along with 5.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.00 steals in 34.0 minutes while shooting a career-best 53.5 per cent from the floor and 82.7 per cent from the free throw line.

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