By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid have been named the Kia NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Month, respectively, for games played in January.
The Serb big man wins the monthly award for the first time this season and the fifth time in his career. The back-to-back MVP averaged a triple-double during January with 24.0 points, 11.6 rebounds, and 11.3 assists.
He recorded eight triple-doubles, joining Wilt Chamberlain as the only centers in NBA history to record eight or more triple-doubles in a single month.
His current triple-double count for the season sits at a league-leading 16. Jokic powered the Nuggets to a 10-2 record in the 12 games he played in January as Denver sits atop the Western Conference with a 35-16 record.
Embiid scored a league-best 34.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.6 blocks in 10 games during the month.