By Stefan Djordjevic / sdjordjevic@eurohoops.net
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for Week 13 of the 2020-21 season (March 15-21).
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Other nominees included Luka Doncic (DAL), Anthony Edwards (MIN), De’Aaron Fox (SAC), Joe Ingles and Donovan Mitchell (UTA), and Damian Lillard (POR) for the West as well as John Collins (ATL), James Harden and Kyrie Irving (BKN), Tobias Harris (PHI) and Collin Sexton (CLE) for the Eastern Conference.
Jokic wins the award for the third time this season, joining Carmelo Anthony (2006-07) as the only players in franchise history to win the award three times in a single season. He has now earned Western Conference Player of the Week honors nine times in his career, the second-most in franchise history (Anthony, 10x).
Jokic, 26, averaged 26.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and 1.75 steals while shooting .595 from the field and .583 from three-point range while helping lead the Nuggets to a 3-1 week. The Nuggets have now won 8 of their last 10 games, improving to fifth-best in the Western Conference at 25-17.
Leading the Bucks to a 3-0 record last week, Antetokounmpo averaged a triple-double by putting up 29.7 points (58 FG%, 33 3FG%, 81 FT%), 12.7 rebounds and 10.0 assists per game. He started the week with a triple-double on Monday in a win over the Wizards, becoming the first player in franchise history to record a triple-double in three consecutive games, then followed that with a 32-point, 15-rebound performance in an overtime win over the 76ers on Wednesday.
Antetokounmpo finished the week by matching his career-high of 15 assists, in addition to scoring 26 points with eight rebounds, in a victory over the Spurs on Saturday, which extended the Bucks’ season-long winning streak to six games.