Yao Ming nominated to NBA players of the week Dec. 2 - Dec. 8

This is the first time Yao Ming being nominated to the NBA players of the week.

http://www.nba.com/news/pow_021209.html


Monday, Dec. 2 - Sunday, Dec. 8
Pierce, Bryant Named Players of the Week

NEW YORK, Dec. 9 – Boston’s Paul Pierce and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant today were named the Eastern Conference and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 2 through Sunday, Dec. 8.
Pierce averaged 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.0 steals in leading the Celtics to a 2-1 record last week and to within one game of the Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia 76ers.


Bryant

Pierce
Bryant, fresh off his 21-point fourth quarter effort in the Lakers’ historic come-from-behind victory over the Mavericks Friday, helped guide the Lakers to a 3-1 week by averaging 23.3 points, 9.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5 steals. The weekly award is the second for Bryant this season.

Here is a closer look at the week for Pierce and Bryant:

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
Dec. 2 at Orlando – Tallied 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in leading the Celtics to a five-point road victory over the Magic.
Dec. 4 at Philadelphia – Scored a game-high 34 points, and had four steals, in six-point loss to Atlantic Division-leading Sixers.

Dec. 6 vs. New York – Record 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, in just 34 minutes of play, in leading the Celtics over the Knicks 91-80.
Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers
Dec. 3 vs. Memphis – Recorded 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, his NBA leading fourth triple-double of the season, in the Lakers’ 101-91 victory over the Grizzlies.
Dec. 6 vs. Dallas – Had 27 points, 21 of which came in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers rallied from 27-points down to defeat the Mavericks 105-103. The fourth quarter deficit was the second largest overcome in NBA history. Bryant also chipped in nine rebounds and seven assists.

Dec. 8 vs. Utah – Tallied 25 points, a season-high 14 assists, five steals and four rebounds as the Lakers avenged their loss to the Jazz earlier in the week, 110-101.



Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Antoine Walker, Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki, Golden State’s Antawn Jamison, Houston’s Yao Ming, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Elton Brand, New Jersey’s Richard Jefferson, New Orleans’ P.J. Brown and Jamal Mashburn, Phoenix’s Shawn Marion, Sacramento’s Bobby Jackson and Washington’s Larry Hughes.