Cavs' James, Mavs' Nowitzki named Players of the Month

NEW YORK, April 17, 2009 -- The Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James and the Dallas Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors, respectively, for games played during April.

James led Cleveland to a 5-3 record, averaging 29.9 points, 6.6 assists, 6.0 rebounds while shooting .877 from the free-throw line. On April 10, James scored 27 points and added 10 assists, notching his 29th double-double of the season in leading Cleveland to a 102-92 victory over Philadelphia. With his 37 points and five assists in a 117-109 win over Indiana on April 13, James helped the Cavaliers clinch home-court advantage throughout the NBA Playoffs. This marks James' second consecutive Player of the Month award and his fourth this season

Nowitzki helped Dallas to a 6-2 month, including a perfect 6-0 mark at home, averaging 30.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. Nowitzki finished the season by scoring at least 20 points in each of Dallas' last 25 games, dating back to Feb. 27, the longest such streak in the NBA this season. He finished the season with a career-high-tying 26 30-point games, including five in April. With Dallas' 95-84 win over Houston on April 15, the Mavericks became the fourth team in NBA history to record nine-straight seasons with 50 wins or more.

Here is a closer look at the month for James and Nowitzki:

LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers
April 2 @ Washington: Scored 31 points and added nine rebounds and six assists in a 109-101 loss to the Wizards.

April 5 vs. San Antonio: Tallied 38 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a 101-81 win over the Spurs.

April 10 @ Philadelphia: Recorded 27 points and 10 assists in a 102-92 win over the 76ers.

April 12 vs. Boston: Netted 29 points and added seven assists in a 107-76 win over the Celtics.

April 13 @ Indiana: Tallied 37 points, five assists and five rebounds in a 117-109 win over the Pacers.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
April 1 vs. Miami: Recorded 30 points and six rebounds in a 98-96 win over the Heat.
April 3 @ Memphis: Tallied 35 points and nine rebounds in a 107-102 loss to the Grizzlies.

April 8 vs. Utah: Scored 31 points and added seven rebounds and two steals in a 130-101 win over the Jazz.

April 13 vs. Minnesota: Netted 34 points and added nine rebounds in a 96-94 win over the Timberwolves. April 15 vs. Houston: Tallied 30 points, 15 rebounds and two steals in a 95-84 win over the Rockets.

Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month presented by Kia Motors were Boston's Paul Pierce, Miami's Dwyane Wade, New Orleans' Chris Paul, Orlando's Dwight Howard, Portland's Brandon Roy and San Antonio's Tony Parker.