Tuesday 31 December 2019 08:45, UK
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week with Pelicans young star Brandon Ingram picking up Western Conference honours.
Boston's Brown scooped the award for games played between December 23-29. It is the first time in his four-year career he has received Player of the Week honours.
Brown, 23, averaged a team-high 27.0 points on 62.2 per cent shooting (57.9 per cent from three-point range), 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.0 steals over three games. He was the only Eastern Conference competitor to produce at least 25.0 points on 60.0 per cent shooting throughout the week.
The fourth-year forward reached the 30-point mark in both of Boston's victories, including a career-high 34-point performance on 13-of-20 shooting (5-of-10 on threes) against the Cleveland Cavaliers on December 27.
Brown scored 30 points (on a 76.9 field goal percentage) in the Celtics' previous game on Christmas Day in Toronto, marking the first time in his career he has produced 30+ points in consecutive games.
He is the first Celtics player to receive Player of the Week honours since guard Isaiah Thomas did so in February 2017.
In 27 games this season (all starts), Brown is averaging 20.6 points.7.0 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.1 steals and 33.6 minutes played. He is one of four NBA players averaging at least 20.0 points on 51.0 per cent shooting in 2019-20, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo, Karl-Anthony Towns and DeMar DeRozan.
New Orleans Pelicans forward Ingram was named the Western Conference Player of the Week for games played between December 23-29.
Ingram helped lead New Orleans to a 4-0 week while averaging 25.3 points on 49.3 per cent shooting from the floor, as well as 7.3 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals.
The fourth-year pro finished the week ranked fourth in the NBA in total points scored (101), was one of four players to average at least 25.0 points while shooting over 45 per cent from the field and over 50 per cent from three-point range and was one of just two players to average at least 25.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 2.0 steals.
Ingram led the Pelicans in scoring in three out of their four games. On Christmas Day, Ingram connected on a career-high seven three-pointers at Denver, setting a new NBA Christmas Day record for three-point field goals by an individual.
Ingram becomes the eighth player in Pelicans franchise history to earn Player of the Week honours, joining Baron Davis, Jamaal Magloire, Chris Paul, David West, Greivis Vasquez, Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins.
It is the first time in Ingram's career he has earned the award. In 30 games this season, Ingram is averaging 25.3 points (10th in NBA), 7.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.0 steals.