Who were the top performers in awards categories for March?
The final full month of the regular season offered a few surprise among the league’s top performers in March. Competition for the NBA’s top awards has proved to be just as fierce as the battle for playoff position. Coach of the Month: Erik Spoelstra, Miami. After starting the month in ninth place and reeling from a five-game losing streak, the Heat went 12-3 in March and closed on a season-best six-game winning streak. Spoelstra guided the team to within striking distance of the fifth seed in the East despite sporadic production from Dwyane Wade and several disrupting off-the-court issues. MVP of the Month: Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix. It would be hard to argue that any player in the league has been more productive since the All-Star break than Stoudemire. He responded to all of the trade speculation by increasing his already-surging stock. Stoudemire’s numbers speak for themselves. He averaged 27.2 points and 9.9 rebounds while shooting 57.7 percent to lead the Suns to a 12-2 record in
