NEW YORK – The Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving and the Kings’ Isaiah Thomas were today named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month, respectively, for games played in February.  The award is the second for Irving this season and the first for Thomas.

Irving led all rookies in scoring (19.3 ppg), free throw percentage (.953) and minutes (35.3 mpg), while leading Eastern Conference rookies in assists (5.6 apg), three-point field goal percentage (.444) and fourth-quarter scoring (6.8 ppg).  He scored 20 or more points in six games in February, shooting .500 or better four times and notching a season-high 11 assists on Feb. 22, against the New Orleans Hornets.

Thomas led Western Conference rookies in February in scoring (12.2 ppg) and was second in assists (4.4 apg).  He recorded his first five career starts last month, scoring 96 total points, the most by a rookie in the Sacramento era over such a span, and the most since Otis Birdsong scored 96 in November-December 1977.

Here is a recap of the month for both Irving and Thomas:

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Feb. 4 vs. Dallas: Scored 20 points and added seven assists in a 91-88 win over the Mavericks.

Feb. 15 vs. Indiana: Scored 22 points and dished out five assists in a 98-87 win over the Pacers.

Feb. 19 vs. Sacramento: Scored 23 points and added two blocks in a 93-92 victory over the Kings.

Feb. 21 vs. Detroit: Scored 25 points and added eight assists and five rebounds in a 101-100 win over the Pistons.

Isaiah Thomas, Sacramento Kings

Feb. 6 @ New Orleans: Scored 17 points and recorded six assists and five rebounds in a 100-92 victory over the Hornets.

Feb. 19 @ Cleveland: Scored 23 points and tallied 11 assists and eight rebounds, both career highs, in a 93-92 loss to the Cavaliers.

Feb. 21 @ Miami: Scored a career-high 24 points to go with five rebounds and four assists in a 120-108 loss to the Heat.

Feb. 28 vs. Utah: Finished with 18 points, eight assists and two rebounds in a 103-96 win over the Jazz.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month were Charlotte’s Kemba Walker, Denver’s Kenneth Faried, Detroit’s Brandon Knight, Houston’s Chandler Parsons, Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio and New Jersey’s MarShon Brooks.