Despite the New York Knicks‘ perfect week on the back of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle’s heroics, the team’s 1-2 punch still fell short of the weekly individual honors.
Cleveland Cavaliers’ star guard Donovan Mitchell, the object of the Knicks’ affection last summer, beat Brunson and Randle for the NBA Player of the Week award.
Also nominated were Orlando’s top rookie Paolo Banchero, Brooklyn’s Kevin Durant, who went off 43 Sunday night, and Kyrie Irving, who hit his first career game-winning buzzer-beater in Toronto, and Miami’s Tyler Herro.
Mitchell averaged 32.0 points, highlighted by a 41-point effort against Indiana, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 53.9 percent from the field and 42.5 percent from deep while leading the Cavaliers to a 3-1 record last week.
Brunson averaged 27.3 points, 5.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals while hitting 50.9 percent from the field and a ridiculous 66.7 percent from the three-point zone during the Knicks’ perfect 3-0 week, part of their season-high seven-game winning streak.
Randle consistently churned out double-doubles last week, averaging 25.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists despite shooting 40.4 percent from the field and 30.4 from behind the arc.
Brunson and Randle led the Knicks’ 109-106 comeback win against the Indiana Pacers Sunday night to sweep their recent three-game road trip.
Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo
The post Knicks 1-2 punch fall to Cavs’ Donovan Mitchell for NBA Player of the Week honors appeared first on Empire Sports Media.