George O'Brien
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Suns.com
Mike D’Antoni Named
NBA Coach of the Month
Posted: March 1, 2006
Phoenix Suns Head Coach Mike D’Antoni today was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month for February, marking the second time in his career he has earned the honor (December 2004, 13-2).
D’Antoni led the Suns to a 9-1 record in the month, marking the second-highest winning percentage ever in the month of February (11-1, .917 in 1989-90). The Suns currently own the NBA’s longest winning streak at seven games.
Phoenix averaged an NBA-best 111.6 points last month and has scored at least 100 points in 18 consecutive games, the most by the franchise since doing it 43-straight in the 1992-93 season. The Suns outscored their opponents by an average of 11.4 points in February.
The 2004-05 NBA Coach of the Year is the first Suns coach in club history to win the honor twice and the first to win it in a month other than December. Other Suns coaches who won the award, include Cotton Fitzsimmons (December 2001, 11-1 record), Paul Westphal (December 1992, 14-0) and Frank Johnson (December 2002, 11-5).
The Suns, who have won 10 of their last 11 games, host the Milwaukee Bucks at 7 p.m. tonight at the US Airways Center. Miami Heat Head Coach Pat Riley was named Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for February.
