Luka Doncic, Jalen Johnson named NBA Players of Month

Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Hawks forward Jalen Johnson have been named the NBA’s Players of the Month for March in the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively, the league announced.

Doncic put together a dominant scoring stretch, becoming one of just 10 players in NBA history to reach 600 points in a calendar month. He averaged 37.5 points across 16 games, highlighted by a 60-point performance, a 51-point outing, and five additional games of at least 40.

He also added 8.0 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game while shooting .492 from the field, .392 from three-point range, and .794 from the free throw line.

The Lakers went 15-2 in March, including 14-2 in games Doncic played. He also made an impact defensively, earning a Defensive Player of the Month nomination after averaging 2.3 steals.

In the East, Johnson played a key role in Atlanta’s strong month. The Hawks went 13-2 in March, including 11-2 in games he appeared, as he averaged 22.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists while shooting 48.9% from the field, 39.2% from deep, and 80.7% from the line.

Among his top performances were a 35-point, 10-rebound effort against Philadelphia on March 7 and a 24-point, 15-rebound, 13-assist triple-double against Orlando on March 16.

It’s the second Player of the Month honor this season and the seventh of Doncic’s career. Other Western Conference nominees included Kevin Durant, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Kawhi Leonard, Victor Wembanyama, Nikola Jokic, and Jamal Murray.

Johnson, meanwhile, earns the award for the first time. Eastern Conference nominees included Nickeil Alexander-Walker, LaMelo Ball, Jaylen Brown, James Harden, Paolo Banchero, Desmond Bane, Jalen Brunson, and Karl-Anthony Towns.