Ex-Cats

Thunder’s Enes Kanter finishes 3rd in NBA’s Sixth Man voting

The Thunder’s Enes Kanter, center, reached for a rebound between the Timberwolves’s Karl-Anthony Towns, left, and Gorgui Dieng during the second quarter in Oklahoma City on Friday, March 11, 2016.
The Thunder’s Enes Kanter, center, reached for a rebound between the Timberwolves’s Karl-Anthony Towns, left, and Gorgui Dieng during the second quarter in Oklahoma City on Friday, March 11, 2016. Associated Press

Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford won the Sixth Man Award, becoming the first three-time winner as the NBA’s best reserve.

Crawford received 51 first-place votes and 341 points Tuesday from a panel of 130 sports writers and broadcasters in the U.S. and Canada.

NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala of Golden State was second with 288 points (33 first-place votes), and Oklahoma City’s Enes Kanter finished third with 182 points (19 first-place votes).

Kanter, who spent one season at the University of Kentucky (though he was ruled ineligible to play), averaged 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds in 21 minutes per game during the regular season for Oklahoma City.

He has contributed 11 points and 10.5 rebounds per game in the Thunder’s two playoff games against the Dallas Mavericks. Their series is tied at 1-all.

Crawford averaged 14.2 points in 79 games, coming off the bench in 74. He ranked second in the NBA in free throw percentage at 90.4 percent.

The 16-year veteran added this win to his awards in 2009-2010 with Atlanta and 2013-14 with the Clippers.

Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce and Detlef Schrempf all won the Sixth Man Award twice. Crawford is the only player to win with multiple teams.

NBA Sixth Man Voting

NEW YORK — Voting for the NBA Sixth Man award as selected by a nationwide panel of 130 sportswriters and broadcasters. Voting is on a 5-3-1 basis:

Player, Team

1st

2nd

3rd

Total

Jamal Crawford, LAC

51

23

17

341

Andre Iguodala, GS

33

35

18

288

Enes Kanter, OKC

19

20

27

182

Will Barton, Den

15

21

20

158

Evan Turner, Bos

3

7

10

46

Ryan Anderson, NO

4

6

5

43

Jeremy Lin, Cha

1

6

7

30

Ed Davis, Por

1

5

1

21

Dennis Schroder, Atl

1

2

6

17

Tristan Thompson, Cle

2

-

6

16

Shaun Livingston, GS

-

1

4

7

J.J. Barea, Dal

-

1

2

5

Boris Diaw, SA

-

1

2

5

Zach LaVine, Min

-

1

1

4

Darren Collison, Sac

-

1

-

3

Allen Crabbe, Por

-

-

1

1

Jrue Holiday, NO

-

-

1

1

Patrick Patterson, Tor

-

-

1

1

Mirza Teletovic, Pho

-

-

1

1

This story was originally published April 19, 2016 at 2:57 PM with the headline "Thunder’s Enes Kanter finishes 3rd in NBA’s Sixth Man voting."

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