Suns’ Williams is NBA Coach of the Year
Former Oklahoma City Thunder assistant Monty Williams has won NBA Coach of the Year after leading the Phoenix Suns to a franchise-record 64 wins during the regular season.
The Suns were the NBA’s best team by far during the regular season, finishing with eight more wins than any other team. The runner-up to New York’s Tom Thibodeau last season, Williams was the runaway winner this time. He received 81 of 100 first-place votes from a global panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters, finishing with 458 points.
WARRIORS 101, GRIZZLIES 98: Stephen Curry converted eight free throws over the final 45.7 seconds on the way to 32 points, leading the Golden State Warriors’ fourth-quarter comeback for a victory against the Memphis Grizzlies and a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference semifinals. Golden State rallied to win without coach Steve Kerr after he tested positive for COVID-19 less than two hours before tipoff.
CELTICS 116, BUCKS 108: Al Horford and Jayson Tatum scored 30 points each and led the Boston Celtics’ fourthquarter comeback in a victory over the Milwaukee Bucks that tied their Eastern Conference semifinal at two games apiece. Horford’s 30 points were a career playoff high for the 35-year-old veteran who spent time last season with the Thunder.
GRIZZLIES: The Grizzlies say AllStar guard Ja Morant is doubtful for the remainder of the postseason after an MRI and further evaluation revealed a bone bruise in his injured right knee.
KINGS: Sacramento officially announced the hiring of Mike Brown as its new head coach with hopes he can end the NBA’s longest playoff drought ever. Brown currently is an assistant with Golden State and will remain with the Warriors for the rest of their playoff run. Brown previously had two stints as head coach in Cleveland, where he guided the Cavaliers to the NBA Finals in 2007, and had one stint as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.