Grant Hill Wins NBA Sportsmanship Award
For the fourth year in a row, a former Duke basketball player has won the Joe Dumars Trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual NBA Sportsmanship Award. This year, Grant Hill took home the trophy for the second time, the only player in the history of the award to win it twice. Shane Battier was once again selected as a divisional award winner. After Hill won his first Dumars Trophy in 2005, fellow Blue Devils Elton Brand and Luol Deng followed in his footsteps for the next two years. Duke has had more Sportsmanship Award winners than any other school, and is one of only two schools to boast multiple winners (Michigan State has had two winners).
As part of the award, the NBA will donate $25,000 in Grant’s name to HopeKids, a charitable organization that provides support to children with cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. The league also donates $10,000 to each of the divisional winners’ charities of choice.
Top Performer
The Utah Jazz hold a 3-2 lead over the Houston Rockets in their first-round series with Game 6 approaching Friday, and Carlos Boozer is a huge reason why. After Boozer’s heroics last year got Utah one step from the NBA Finals, it’s certainly no surprise to see Carlos posting impressive numbers. In the opening game of the series, Boozer finished with 20 points, 16 rebounds, and 3 assists to lead the Jazz to a 93-82 win on the Rockets’ home floor. His 16.2 points and 12.0 rebounds through the first five games have powered Utah to its current margin, and the numbers are even more impressive considering that they’ve come against the best team defense in the West, led by former Duke teammate Shane Battier.
Battier Impressive in Series
With Boozer dominating the paint, there wasn’t much the Rockets could do to slow down the Jazz in the first game of the series, but Shane Battier kept things competitive. Usually known more for his outstanding work on the defensive end, Shane lit up the scoreboard with a perfect night from the field, scoring 22 points on 7-of-7 from the floor and 4-for-4 from long range. He is shooting 52% from behind the arc for the series and averaging 11.0 points per game. Battier also finished third in the recently-released NBA Defensive Player of the Year voting behind Boston’s Kevin Garnett and Denver’s Marcus Camby.
Hill Sidelined
After losing several years of his career to a troublesome ankle injury, Grant Hill ended the season struggling with a groin injury that limited him all series against San Antonio. Without Hill at full strength, the Suns fell to the Spurs 4-1. After signing with Phoenix this summer with the hopes of winning an NBA Championship, it was a frustrating end to an otherwise terrific season for Grant.
Playoff Notes
Two other Blue Devils are enjoying the playoffs this year. J.J. Redick’s Orlando Magic knocked out the Toronto Raptors 4-1, while Shavlik Randolph and the Philadelphia 76ers trail the Detroit Pistons 3-2. Shavlik saw his first career playoff action Friday night, scoring two points from the free throw line in a convincing win.
Quote of the Week
“The thing that surprised me is that [Coach K’s] got a great sense of humor. He’s very, very funny. You see him coaching the games, and you see his intensity, you see him barking out orders, but you don’t realize what a standup comedian he is. That was fun to see.”
-Team USA Superstar Kobe Bryant
