NBA awards: Antetokounmpo wins MVP, Doncic top rookie

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo became the second European player to be selected the NBA's Most Valuable Player, winning the honor on Monday night at the league's awards show in Santa Monica, California.

Luka Doncic, the No. 3 overall selection who was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft day in 2018, won the Rookie of the Year Award.

Antetokounmpo, a 24-year-old from Greece, joins Germany's Dirk Nowitzki (2006-07 Dallas Mavericks) as European NBA MVPs.

The only other non-United States players to capture the honor were Nigeria's Hakeem Olajuwon (1993-94 Houston Rockets) and Canada's Steve Nash (2004-05 and 2005-06 Phoenix Suns). In addition, two-time MVP Tim Duncan (2001-02 and 2002-03 San Antonio Spurs) was born in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Antetokounmpo was selected over fellow MVP finalists Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder and James Harden of the Rockets, last season's MVP.

"The Greek Freak" averaged 27.7 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals in 72 games.

Bucks general manager Jon Horst, who was selected the Executive of the Year on Monday, said in a statement, "We are beyond proud of Giannis for earning his first MVP award. This well-deserved honor is due to his relentless hard work and dedication in becoming the most impactful player in the NBA." 

"Giannis propelled the Bucks to great heights last season with his leadership, drive and unselfish play. His grace on and off the court has made him one of the most admired players in the world."

Antetokounmpo also was a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, which went to Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert for the second year in a row. George also was a candidate for the defensive honor.

Doncic received 98 of the 100 votes, with Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks getting the other two. The third finalist was the top pick in last season's draft, Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton.

Named Most Improved Player was power forward Pascal Siakam of the NBA champion Toronto Raptors, who won the award over fellow finalists De'Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings and D'Angelo Russell of the Brooklyn Nets. Like Doncic, Siakam ran away with the award, receiving 86 out of 100 votes.

Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams was chosen the Sixth Man of the Year for the third time, matching Jamal Crawford for the most times winning the award. The only other two-time winners of the Sixth Man award were Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce and Detlef Schrempf.

The other finalists for the Sixth Man award were Williams' teammate Montrezl Harrell and the Indiana Pacers' Domantas Sabonis.

Coach of the Year went to the Milwaukee Bucks' Mike Budenholzer, who beat out fellow finalists Doc Rivers of the Los Angeles Clippers and Michael Malone of the Denver Nuggets.

Doncic, a 20-year-old guard who averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 6.0 assists in 32.2 minutes per game, is Dallas' second Rookie of the Year winner, joining Jason Kidd, a co-winner with Grant Hill in the 1994-95 season. Doncic played in 72 games last season.

Young, a point guard, averaged 19.1 points, 8.1 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 30.9 minutes per game last season. He played in 81 of the team's 82 contests. A year ago, Young, the No. 5 overall draft pick in 2018, was dealt from Dallas to Atlanta along with a 2019 first-round pick in exchange for Doncic.

Siakam averaged 16.9 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists over 31.9 minutes and played in 80 games. 

ESPN noted that Siakam, a third-year player whom the Raptors drafted with the 27th overall pick in 2016, increased his point total by 9.6 points per game over the 2017-18 season, the biggest gain by any player to have played in 40 games in the consecutive seasons.

Williams, 32, put up 20 points, 5.4 assists and three rebounds per game in 75 appearances in 2018-19, starting just once.

Budenholzer, 49, led the Bucks to a 60-22 record in his first season in Milwaukee, their best record since going 60-22 in the 1980-81 season. 

The 16-win improvement over the previous season was the best mark in the NBA this season and earned the Bucks the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. They lost to the eventual NBA champion Raptors in six games in the conference finals.

Budenholzer also won Coach of the Year in Atlanta in 2015 after leading the Hawks to a 60-22 record in his second of five seasons with the team.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Hot-hitting Springer MVP of Astros' World Series win

LOS ANGELES -- George Springer hammered his way to the World Series Most Valuable Player award, belting a record-equalling five home runs to fuel the Houston Astros' seven-game win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

"The wildness of this series, the wackiness of this series, the emotional ups and downs, being able to play in this is something that I will never, ever forget, even if this is the only time I will ever get here," Springer said Wednesday, after smacking a two-run homer in the Astros' decisive 5-1 triumph over the Dodgers.

The 28-year-old center fielder looked an unlikely World Series hero after hitting just .115 in the Astros' seven-game victory over the New York Yankees in the American League Championship Series.

   
He struck out four times in game one against the Dodgers, and Astros manager A.J. Hinch found himself defending his decision to keep Springer at the top of his lineup.

Hinch's faith was amply rewarded as Springer smashed the two-run home run in the 11th inning that won game two for the Astros.

Springer homered again in Houston's game four defeat and in game five he atoned for a defensive miscue that saw the Dodgers take an 8-7 lead with a solo homer that tied a game the Astros would go on to win 13-12.

"I went from the lowest low to the highest high," he said of that one. "That was the craziest home run I've ever hit."

Springer's homer in game six accounted for Houston's only run in a 3-1 defeat.

And, finally, his two-run blast on Wednesday made him the first player ever to homer in four straight World Series Games.

His five home runs in the series tied the record set by New York Yankees great Reggie Jackson and later matched by Chase Utley for the Philadelphia Phillies.

"I don't know if there's a cloud higher than nine, but I'm on it," said Springer, whose 29 total bases in a World Series are a record.

"When he got going, it gets pretty scary, he can do a ton of damage," Hinch said.

Springer, for his part, was grateful for Hinch's faith.

"I will run through a wall for that guy any day," he said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Warriors' Durant named Most Valuable Player of NBA Finals

OAKLAND, Calif. - Kevin Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors hoping to win an elusive title and on Monday he not only reached his goal but was also named the unanimous Most Valuable Player of the NBA Finals.

Durant, in his first season with the Warriors, led the way in a 4-1 series win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to capture his maiden NBA title and the team's second in three seasons.

The 28-year-old American averaged 35.2 points, 8.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists in the best-of-seven Finals, which the Warriors wrapped up in five games.


To win his first NBA title, Durant had to overcome Cavaliers forward LeBron James, whose former Miami Heat team defeated Durant's Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 Finals.

"He's the only person that I was looking at since 2012," Durant said after the game. "I knew it was going to be a battle I just tried to challenge him ... you can't stop the guy. But we battled.

"I told him we're tied up now and we're going to try to do this thing again but I'm going to celebrate this one tonight."

(Additional reporting by Jahmal Corner; Editing by Frank Pingue)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Pats' Brady named Super Bowl MVP after record comeback

HOUSTON -- New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was named the Most Valuable Player of the Super Bowl on Sunday after leading his team on a record comeback over the Atlanta Falcons in the National Football League championship game.

Brady, a five-times Super Bowl winner and four-times MVP of the championship game, completed 43 of 62 passes for 466 yards, two touchdowns and one interception in the 34-28 overtime victory, the first Super Bowl decided in extra time.

The 39-year-old Brady set Super Bowl records for completions and yards gained passing as he directed the Patriots on a monumental comeback from a 28-3 third-quarter hole -- the largest deficit ever overcome in a Super Bowl.

"We all brought each other back. We never felt out of it. It was a tough battle," Brady said on the field after James White plunged past the goal line for the winning touchdown.

"They (Atlanta) have a great team, I give them a lot of credit. We just made a few more plays than them."


Asked whether his fifth Super Bowl title was the best, Brady replied: "They're all great. This team resembled a lot of teams from the past that had a lot of mental toughness, great defense. Everyone rose to the occasion in the second half and overtime."

Brady, who was suspended for the first four games of the regular season over his role in the AFC title game controversy over under-inflated balls two seasons ago despite fighting the punishment in court, was asked if this was redemption.

"This is all positive, man. This is unbelievable."

Brady was surrounded by his wife, supermodel Gisele Bundchen, their kids and his father and mother, who has been battling illness the last 18 months.

"They're all happy," Brady said about having his family with him. "It's nice to have everybody here. It's going to be a great celebration tonight."

Brady then shouted out to the Patriots fans as he brandished the Lombardi Trophy: "Thank you to all our fans. Everyone back in Boston, New England, we love you. You've been with us all year. We're bringing this sucker home!"

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Letran's Almazan named MVP, top defender

MANILA, Philippines -- Letran center Raymond Almazan has been named Most Valuable Player as well as Defensive Player of the Year of the NCAA Season 89 men's basketball tournament.

Almazan, who led Letran to a 14-4 record and the second-seed, had a total of 55.61 statistical points (SPs) to top the league.

Joining Almazan in the Mythical Five are: San Beda's Ola Adeogun (50.33 SPs), Perpetual's Harold Arboleda (46.78 SPs), Emilio Aguinaldo's Noube Happi (46.56 SPs) and Perpetual's Nosa Omorogbe (44.71 SPs).

Almazan also beat out Adeogun and Happi to win the Defensive Player of the Year award after averaging 7.83 defensive rebounds, a league-leading 2.72 blocks, and 0.61 steal per game for the Knights.

Almazan is in his final year for Letran and was recently selected by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters in the 2013 PBA Rookie Draft.

Perpetual Help's Juneric Baloria won the Rookie of the Year award, while Michael Mabulac of Jose Rizal University was named Most Improved Player.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com