TITLE: Luka Doncic and Jalen Johnson Earn NBA Player of the Month Honors for March
SLUG: luka-doncic-jalen-johnson-named-nba-players-of-the-month
CONTENT:
Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers and Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson have been selected as the NBA’s Players of the Month for March, the league announced.
Western Conference: Doncic’s Historic Scoring Run
Doncic averaged 37.5 points over 16 games, making him the 10th player in league history to top 600 points in a single calendar month. The guard delivered a 60-point outburst, a 51-point game, and five additional performances with at least 40 points.
Beyond scoring, he posted 8.0 rebounds, 7.4 assists, and 2.3 steals per contest while shooting 49.2% from the field, 39.2% beyond the arc, and 79.4% at the free-throw line. The Lakers went 15–2 during the month, including 14–2 when he was in uniform.
This marks Doncic’s second Player of the Month award of the season and the seventh of his career. Other Western Conference nominees were Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kawhi Leonard, Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray.
Eastern Conference: Johnson’s All-Around Impact
Johnson guided Atlanta to a 13–2 record in March, with the team going 11–2 in the games he played. The third-year forward averaged 22.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists while shooting 48.9% from the floor, 39.2% from three, and 80.7% at the line.
His standout efforts included a 35-point, 10-rebound showing against Philadelphia on March 7 and a 24-point, 15-rebound, 13-assist triple-double versus Orlando on March 16.
The March honor is the first Player of the Month recognition of Johnson’s career. Eastern Conference finalists for the award were Nickeil Alexander-Walker, LaMelo Ball, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Source: Hoops Wire
