NEW YORK – The Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade and the Los Angeles Lakers’ Kobe Bryant today were named Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, March 4 through Sunday, March 10.

 Wade led Miami, which is in the midst of a 2012-13 NBA season-best 18-game winning streak, to a 4-0 week. He averaged 25.3 points (third in the conference) on .606 shooting (fourth in the conference), and paired that with 5.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and a league-leading 3.5 steals. Wade recorded a game-high 32 points, a season-high 10 assists and seven rebounds on March 4 during a 97-81 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Bryant led the Lakers to a 3-1 week behind an NBA-best 33.0 points, 8.8 assists (fourth in the conference), 5.8 rebounds and 1.0 steals. He posted back-to-back games of 40-plus points and 10-plus assists on March 6 in a win over the New Orleans Hornets and March 8 in a win over the Toronto Raptors. Winners of eight-of-their-last-10, the Lakers (33-31, .516) have moved one-half game ahead of the Utah Jazz for the eighth spot in the Western Conference Playoff race.

Here is a recap of the week for Wade and Bryant:

Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat

March 4 @ Minnesota: Tallied 32 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in a 97-81 win over the Timberwolves.

March 6 vs. Orlando: Collected 24 points, six rebounds, four steals and three assists during a 97-96 win over the Magic.

March 10 vs. Indiana: Scored 23 points and added six steals and three assists in a 105-91 win over the Pacers.

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers  

March 6 @ New Orleans: Posted 42 points, 12 assists and seven rebounds in a 108-102 win over the Hornets.

March 8 vs. Toronto: Tallied 41 points, 12 assists and six rebounds in a 118-116 overtime win against the Raptors.  March 10 vs. Chicago: Scored 19 points and added nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals during a 90-81 win over the Bulls.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Boston’s Paul Pierce, Brooklyn’s Deron Williams, Denver’s Ty Lawson, Memphis’ Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, Miami’s LeBron James, New York’s J.R. Smith, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Orlando’s Jameer Nelson, Portland’s Damian Lillard and Toronto’s Amir Johnson.