Mike D’Antoni named coach of the month in the West
The NBA on Thursday named the Lakers’ Mike D’Antoni as coach of the month for April in the Western Conference
The Lakers had the best record in April in the conference, winning seven of eight while finishing the season on a five-game winning streak.
Despite the season-ending injury to Kobe Bryant (Achilles’ tendon tear), D’Antoni helped guide the Lakers past the San Antonio Spurs and Houston Rockets to not only make the playoffs but climb to seventh place in the West.
The Lakers struggled through the season with multiple injuries but finished strong, winning 28 of their final 40.
New York Knicks Coach Mike Woodson won the award for the Eastern Conference.
Other coaches considered in the West included George Karl of the Denver Nuggets, Lionel Hollins of the Memphis Grizzlies and Scott Brooks of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Email Eric Pincus at eric.pincus@gmail.com and follow him on Twitter @EricPincus
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