< Back to front page Text size – +

Rivers named C.O.M.

Print | Comments () Posted by Marc J. Spears, Globe Staff April 17, 2008 02:29 PM

Tweet
E-mail

The Boston Celtics’ Doc Rivers and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Phil Jackson today were named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for regular season games played in April.

Rivers, who captures his third Coach of the Month award this season (October/November and March), guided the Celtics to an NBA-best 8-1 (.889) record in April. Rivers’ Celtics won an NBA-best 66 games in 2007-08 and are assured of homecourt advantage throughout the postseason. Boston, which enjoyed a 42-game turnaround this season compared to last, enters the playoffs on a four-game winning streak.

Jackson led the Lakers to a Western Conference-best 7-1 (.875) mark in April, including wins over Dallas, New Orleans and San Antonio. The Lakers, winners of 57 games this season, are the Western Conference’s top seed. Los Angeles, like Boston, enters the postseason on a four-game winning streak.

Other nominees for the Coach of the Month were Denver’s George Karl, Detroit’s Flip Saunders, Houston’s Rick Adelman, Orlando’s Stan Van Gundy, Utah’s Jerry Sloan and Washington’s Eddie Jordan.