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| Mike D'Antoni | Mr. Pringles |
Mike D’Antoni was named the NBA Western Conference Coach of the Month in April and Los Angeles Lakers manager Mitch Kupchak said Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni would be back next season.
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| Mike Woodson | Mr. Potato Head |
Mike Woodson, who was D’Antoni’s former assistant and replaced him as the coach of the New York Knicks, was named the NBA Eastern Conference Coach of the Month as well. Woodson led the Knicks to an 8-2 record in April, tied for the most wins in the month with the Heat, the top team in the Eastern Conference. It was the first time a Knicks coach was recognized for the honor since Pat Riley in March 1994.
D’Antoni guided the Lakers to the best record in the conference in April at 7-1 — as the Lakers won 5 straight games to close the season, including three over Western Conference playoff teams -- Golden State, San Antonio and Houston, the final two without the services of Kobe Bryant, who tore his Achilles tendon. The 7th-seeded Lakers finished the season 45-37 and will face the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the playoffs beginning Sunday.
