SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton and Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball have captured their second Rookie of the Month awards.
The NBA announced Tuesday that Haliburton repeated as Rookie of the Month in the Western Conference for February and Ball was a repeat winner in the Eastern Conference. Haliburton and Ball also received Rookie of the Month awards for December/January.
Haliburton, the No. 12 pick in draft out of Iowa State, averaged 16.2 points, 5.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds in February. He shot 51.2% from the field, 45% from 3-point range and 83.3% at the free-throw line with 69 assists and 18 turnovers.
Ball, the No. 3 pick in the draft, averaged 20.1 points, 6.7 assists and 6.2 rebounds in February. He shot 45.2% from the field, 40.7% from 3-point range and 86.4% at the free-throw line. He finished the month with 87 assists and 43 turnovers.
Ball had 24 points and 12 assists in a 127-126 victory over the Kings on Sunday at Golden 1 Center. Haliburton missed the game due to a calf injury.
Haliburton and Ball have clearly established themselves as the two leading candidates in the NBA Rookie of the Year race after winning the first two monthly awards. Ball is averaging 15.7 points, 6.4 assists and 6.0 rebounds. Haliburton averages 13.2 points, 5.4 assists and 3.6 rebounds.
Other nominees in the Western Conference were Desmond Bane of the Memphis Grizzlies, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves and Jae’Sean Tate of the Houston Rockets.
Other nominees in the East were Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons, Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks and Patrick Williams of the Chicago Bulls.
Haliburton reached his season high of 23 points three times in February, hitting that mark against the Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets. In a victory against the Boston Celtics on Feb. 3, Haliburton became the first Kings rookie to score 20-plus points with five or more 3-pointers as a reserve since Peja Stojakovic in 1999.
Haliburton currently ranks second among rookies in assists and third in scoring. He is second in 3-point shooting, steals (1.4) and minutes (30.1), and sixth in field-goal percentage.
Haliburton is the fourth Kings player to win multiple Rookie of the Month awards and the first since Isaiah Thomas in 2012.
