Now that the curtain has fallen on the NBA regular season, let the accolades begin for the best performances of the season. From Joel Embiid’s repeat as the top scorer in the league to a historic season for Golden State’s Klay Thompson, these are the league’s top individual winners.
SCORING
Joel Embiid is the NBA’s scoring champion for a second consecutive year, averaging 33.1 points per game. He becomes the 19th player to win multiple scoring championships.
Highlights Joël Embiid 🆚 Celtics #BrotherLyLove | #NBA pic.twitter.com/TmRtsMqpPe https://t.co/gvoYlg2aWb
— Back2Back (@B2BFR) April 5, 2023
Trailing him were Luka Doncic of Dallas (32.4) and Damian Lillard (32.2) of Portland. It was the first time in NBA history that three players averaged at least 32 points per game.
The high-point game this season was 71, and it occurred twice. Once by Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell against Chicago on Jan. 2, and Lillard did it for the Trail Blazers against Houston on Feb. 26.
ASSISTS
Philadelphia’s James Harden won the assist title for the second time in his career. He averaged 10.7 per game and is the 13th player to win multiple assist titles. He also had the high-assist game by a player this season, with 21 in a game against the LA Clippers on Dec. 23. Harden and Embiid are the 1st pair of teammates to win the scoring title and assist title in the same season since George Gervin and Johnny Moore in 1981-82 in San Antonio.
THE BEARD!
10x All-Star, 3x Scoring Champ, 2016-17 Assist Champ, 2011-12 Sixth Man of the Year, 2017-18 NBA MVP and 75th Anniversary Team member… James Harden! #NBA75 pic.twitter.com/AT96gRorokhttps://t.co/wNWsWz8AKl
— 🦈🐋 (@EmbiidPlzWin) April 9, 2023
REBOUNDS
Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis led the league in rebounds per game, averaging 12.3. It’s his fourth consecutive season averaging at least 12 rebounds per contest, the longest such active streak in the NBA.
The most boards any player pulled down accumulated in a game this season was 29. It was done by Ivica Zubac of the Clippers against Indiana on Nov. 27.
FROM BEYOND THE ARC
One of the famed “Splash Brothers” Klay Thompson of Golden State had the most 3-pointers by a player this season, hitting six in Sunday’s finale to finish with 301 by making six in Sunday’s finale.
HISTORY.
Klay Thompson is only the third player in NBA history to hit 300 threes in a season 🙌
📺: Live on the NBA App pic.twitter.com/OeyJQRHNrQ
— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2023
Thompson is only the third player to make 300 3’s in a season. The other was Warriors teammate Stephen Curry who has done it four times.
Portland’s Damian Lillard had the most 3’s in a game this season, connecting on 13 in his 71-point outburst against Houston.
The NBA’s second season begins Tuesday with the play-in tournament.
THE BRACKET IS SET 🍿 pic.twitter.com/j7Dn0yxXyy
— NBA (@NBA) April 9, 2023
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