Atlanta's Mike Budenholzer voted NBA coach of the year
ATLANTA (AP) Mike Budenholzer of the Atlanta Hawks has been chosen as NBA coach of the year.
The second-year coach was honored Tuesday after leading the Hawks to a 60-22 record - the best in franchise history - and top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Budenholzer received 67 first-place votes and 513 points overall in balloting by sports writers and broadcasters. Golden State's Steve Kerr, who guided the Warriors to an NBA-best 67-15 record, received 56 first-place votes and 471 points.
A longtime assistant at San Antonio, Budenholzer's team was plagued by injuries and went 38-44 in his debut season. But the Hawks surged to the top of the East, giving Atlanta its first coach of the year since Lenny Wilkins in 1994.