DENVER, March 5, 2011 – Nuggets point guard Ty Lawson has been named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played Tuesday, Feb. 29, through Sunday, March 4, the NBA announced today.
Lawson took charge for the Nuggets, averaging 20.7 points, 11.7 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 1.33 steals as Denver went 3-0 against opponents with a combined winning percentage of .571. He shot .457 (21-for-46) from the field, .417 (5-for-12) from three-point range and .833 (15-for-18) from the foul line.
Lawson, who is in his first full season as a starter, opened the week by posting 18 points, nine assists and five rebounds vs. Portland on Feb. 29. He followed that with a 22-point, career-high 15-assist, seven-rebound and two-steal performance at Houston on March 2. He became just the sixth Nugget since 1985 and the first since Mark Jackson in 1997 to post at least 20 points, 15 assists and seven rebounds in the same game.
Lawson capped his incredible week with 22 points, 11 assists and a career-high tying nine rebounds on the road against the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs on March 4. Over the three-game span, Lawson dished out 35 assists while committing just four turnovers. He’s the first Nugget to combine for 35-plus assists while turning it over less than five times in a three-game span since Nick Van Exel in January 2002.
Additionally, Lawson is the first Nugget to average at least 20 points, 11 assists and seven rebounds over three games since Fat Lever did so in April 1989.
This marks the first Player of the Week honor for Lawson in his three-year NBA career. He is the first Nugget to win the award since Chauncey Billups won for the week ending on Dec. 27, 2010. He is the first Nugget other than Billups, Carmelo Anthony or Allen Iverson to win the award since Marcus Camby on Nov. 13, 2005.