San Antonio Spurs big man Tim Duncan celebrated a win over the Chicago Bulls last night, but the game featured a first. And it included Tim Duncan.
TIMMY D GOES SCORELESS … FROM THE FIELD
After 1,310 regular-season games and 234 playoff games, Tim Duncan finished his first ever NBA game without a field goal.
Players in the NBA have nights where they don’t register a single field goal but it was unheard of for Duncan. This blip though speaks major volumes of the guy’s consistency.
Via NBC:
On Sunday, in a 116-105 win over the Bulls, something happened that has never happened once in any of those 1,544 previous games: Duncan did not make a shot.
He scored three points, all from the free-throw line, but shot 0-for-8 from the field. His previous worst shooting performance ever was 1-for-12, in November 2013 in a win over the Wizards.
Of course, the Spurs still won handily (mostly thanks to Tony Parker‘s 32-point explosion), and Duncan grabbed eight rebounds. But it says a lot about Duncan’s consistency over his career that he has never once, in as many games and minutes as he played, not even once has he gone 0-fer from the field.
DUKE’S JAHLIL OKAFOR SCOOPS ACC PLAYER OF THE YEAR
It didn’t come as much of a surprise but top NBA prospect Jahlil Okafor has won the ACC Player of the Year award.
Via NCAA Release:
Duke freshman Jahlil Okafor has been chosen as the 2014-15 Atlantic Coast Conference Men’s Basketball Player of the Year, as announced today by the Atlantic Coast Sports Media Association (ACSMA).
Okafor was the choice of 44 members casting ballots. The Chicago, Illinois, native finished ahead of Notre Dame senior Jerian Grant, who placed second with 14 votes and Virginia junior Malcolm Brogdon, who received three votes.
Syracuse senior Rakeem Christmas, Boston College junior Olivier Hanlan, and Louisville junior Montrezl Harrell all received one vote for the honor.
Okafor was also selected as ACC Freshman of the Year, while Virginia’s Tony Bennett received ACC Coach of the Year honors. Virginia senior Darion Atkins garnered ACC Defensive Player of the Year accolades, Syracuse senior Rakeem Christmas was named as the Most Improved Player, and NC State sophomore Beejay Anya was voted Sixth Man of the Year.
The first freshman in ACC history to be named ACC Player of the Year, Okafor ranked second in the league with 17.6 points per game, third with 9.2 rebounds per game, and first in field goal percentage (.668). He was voted as the ACC Rookie of the Week eight times and Player of the Week once.
One of 15 finalists for the Wooden Award, Okafor was a unanimous selection as ACC Freshman of the Year.
Oklahoma’s Buddy Hield was named the BIG 12 Player of the Year.
