Heat's Goran Dragic named Eastern Conference player of the week
MIAMI HEAT PRESS RELEASE
MIAMI, Fla. -- The NBA announced Monday that Miami HEAT guard Goran Dragić was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week for games played Monday, November 20 through Sunday, November 26. It is the third time Dragić has been named Player of the Week, the first time in the Eastern Conference, in his career and the 56th time in franchise history a HEAT player has earned the honors.
Dragić led the HEAT to a perfect 3-0 record for the week, averaging 23.7 points, 4.3 assists, 3.7 rebounds and 1.00 steals while shooting 52.4 percent (22-of-42) from the field, 57.9 percent (11-of-19) from three-point range and 84.2 percent (16-of-19) from the foul line. He led the team in points and steals twice and in assists and minutes once each. He scored at least 20 points in each contest, including a game-high 27 points in a victory against Boston, snapping their 16-game win streak. He also moved into the HEAT’s all-time top 10 assist leaders list with his 1,063rd dish as a member of the HEAT this week after previously recording his 1,000th assist in just his 176th game with Miami, the fifth-fewest number of games needed to achieve the feat in team history. Dragić started the season scoring at least 17 points in the first eight games of the season, the third-longest such streak in franchise history to begin a campaign as he also connected on at least one three-point field goal in each of the season’s first 14 games, a new career-best mark. Additionally, he has led the team in scoring and assists a team-high eight times each this season.
Dragić led off the week with a game-high 27 points as he paired with Dion Waiters (26 points) to become the first pair of HEAT starting backcourt teammates to each post at least 26 points in the same game since 2009, helping Miami end Boston’s 16-game win streak with a, 104-98, victory. He then added 20 points while dishing out six assists, including shooting 5-of-8 from three-point range, in a, 109-97, win at Minnesota. In that game, Dragić, along with Wayne Ellington (6-of-9), became just the 14th pair of Miami teammates to each connect on at least five treys in the same game. He ended the week with a game-high 24 points in a, 100-93, victory at Chicago to help give the HEAT a season-long three-game win streak.
