MINNEAPOLIS – The NBA announced Monday that Nikola Pekovic was named the player of the week in the Western Conference for April 1 – 7. He is the first Timberwolves player to earn the honor since Al Jefferson did so in Jan. 2009.
Pekovic averaged 25.0 points on 58.9 percent shooting and 8.5 rebounds on the week, leading the Timberwolves to wins over Boston, Milwaukee and Detroit and a 3-1 record. He led the team in scoring in each of those four games, never scoring fewer than 20 points.
Pekovic is averaging career highs in points per game (16.4), rebounds per game (8.9), assists per game (0.9), steals per game (0.7), blocks per game (0.8) and minutes per game (31.8) this year. He has logged 26 double-doubles in 60 games, the most on the team, and he has had at least one offensive rebounds in 72 consecutive games. Three more such outings, and he’ll have tied the longest such active streak in the league, currently held by his teammate, Kevin Love.
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