Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford made history Tuesday by winning his third NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, breaking a tie at two with Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce and Detlef Schrempf. In balloting announced by the league, Crawford had 51 first-place votes and 341 total points.
Golden State Warriors wing Andre Iguodala, Oklahoma City's Enes Kanter and Denver's Will Barton rounded out the top four.
From the NBA:
The Los Angeles Clippers’ Jamal Crawford is the winner of the 2015-16 Kia NBA Sixth Man Award for his contributions in a reserve role, the NBA announced today. He becomes the first player to earn the honor three times. The 36-year-old Crawford also breaks his own record, set two years ago, as the oldest winner.
Crawford amassed 51 first-place votes and 341 total points from a panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. The Golden State Warriors’ Andre Iguodala finished second with 288 points (33 first-place votes), and the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Enes Kanter was third with 182 points (19 first-place votes).
Crawford shot only 40.2 percent, but was instrumental in helping the Clippers overcome the loss of Blake Griffin for 45 straight games yet secured the 4-seed in the West. He averaged 14.2 points and 2.3 assists, playing 26.9 minutes in 76 games. He started five games.
Iguodala, who is on record as not wanting the award or caring about it after winning Finals MVP last year, played in only 65 games. He averaged 7 points, but also chipped in 4 rebounds and 3.4 assists while playing some of the league's most ferocious defense. Ten players received first-place votes and 14 received second-place votes.
Crawford was fifth in points per game for players who played in at least 60 games but started fewer than 40. Ryan Anderson (17.9), Jrue Holiday (16.8), Lou Williams (15.3), and Barton (14.4) finished with higher scoring averages, but Crawford was the only player in that top five in bench scoring to do it on a playoff team.
