NEW YORK – The Charlotte Hornets’ Kemba Walker and the San Antonio Spurs’ Kawhi Leonard today were named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Feb. 27 through Sunday, March 5.

Walker averaged 27.7 points (third in the East), 6.3 assists (tied for fifth in the East), 4.3 rebounds and 1.33 steals for the week as the Hornets went 2-1.  The All-Star guard opened the week by recording 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds and hitting the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:55 to play in a 109-104 victory at the Los Angeles Lakers.  On March 4, he scored a team-high 27 points and added four assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 112-102 road win over the Denver Nuggets.

Leonard led the Spurs to a 3-0 week behind averages of 32.0 points (second in the West), 9.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and a league-best 4.0 steals.  On March 1, he hit the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds remaining to cap a 31-point outing in a 100-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers.  The All-Star forward closed the week with 34 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and a season-high six steals in a 97-90 overtime win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on March 4.  That performance marked his 90^th straight game with at least 10 points, the longest streak by a Spur since Tim Duncan’s 91-game run ended in 2003.

Here is a recap of the week for Walker and Leonard:

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets

Feb. 28 @ L.A. Lakers Recorded 30 points, seven assists and five rebounds in a 109-104 victory over the Lakers.

March 2 @ Phoenix: Finished with 26 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 120-103 loss to the Suns.

March 4 @ Denver: Posted 27 points, four rebounds, four assists and two steals in a 112-102 victory over the Nuggets.

Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs

March 1 vs. Indiana: Scored the game-winning basket with 2.4 seconds left during a 31-point, 10-rebound effort in a 100-99 win over the Pacers.

March 3 @ New Orleans: Recorded 31 points, seven rebounds, six assists and three steals in a 101-98 overtime victory over the Pelicans.

March 4 vs. Minnesota: Contributed 34 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and six steals in a 97-90 overtime win over the Timberwolves.

Other nominees for the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Isaiah Thomas, Dallas’ Seth Curry, New Orleans’ DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, Phoenix’s Tyler Ulis, Portland’s Damian Lillard, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan and Washington’s Bradley Beal and Bojan Bogdanovic.