Kristaps Porzingis a finalist for Block of the Year
Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks reacts after hitting a three-point shot late in the fourth quarter against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden on Friday, Nov. 25, 2016. Credit: Jim McIsaac
Kristaps Porzingis’ block in Brooklyn could get him a trophy in the NBA’s first awards show June 26 at Basketball City.
Porzingis’ rejection and snatch all in one motion of Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie’s shot is a finalist for Block of the Year. It’s one of the six new awards that will be determined solely by fan voting.
The block happened March 12 at the Barclays Center. It was a memorable moment in what was another otherwise forgettable season for Porzingis and the Knicks. They missed the playoffs for the fourth straight season, and Porzingis blew off his exit interview with president Phil Jackson and other Knicks officials due to frustration with the direction of the franchise
The other two finalists for Block of the Year are San Antonio’s Kawhi Leonard against Houston and Miami’s Hassan Whiteside versus Toronto.
The other new awards are Dunk of the Year, Assist of the Year, Game Winner of the Year, Best Style and Top Performance of the Year. A finalist in that category was Houston’s James Harden’s 53-point, 17-assist, 16-rebound video-game performance on New Year’s Eve.
These awards will be presented along with the traditional end-of-season ones — MVP, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man and Executive of the Year — at the NBA’s inaugural prime-time show that will air on TNT.
Fans can see the finalists and video for the new awards at www.nba.com/nbaawards. Starting Thursday, fans can cast their votes at NBA.com or on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram by posting #AwardName and the first and last name of your winner.
Al Iannazzone covers the Jets for Newsday after spending nearly two decades on the NBA beat with Knicks and Nets.
