James, Marion named NBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK (Ticker) -- Forwards LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Shawn Marion of the Phoenix Suns on Monday were named the NBA's Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week.

James averaged 29.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists to win weekly honors for the second time in the season's opening month. The 19-year-old scored a career-high and NBA season-high 43 points in a 92-76 victory over the defending champion Detroit Pistons on Wednesday.

Led by James' 26.6 points per game, which ranks second in the league behind Kobe Bryant's 28.4, the Cavaliers own the second-best record in the Eastern Conference at 9-4.

Marion became the second straight member of the Suns to win the Western Conference honor, scoring 25.7 points and grabbing 14.3 rebounds in three games as Phoenix extended its winning streak to seven games. Fellow Suns forward Amare Stoudemire won the award last week.

Marion recorded a double-double in each of the three games during the week, capped by a 33-point, 15-rebound performance against the New Orleans Hornets on Friday.

Behind Marion's averages of 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds, Phoenix is off to its best start since the 1980-81 season, when it was 11-2.

Other nominees for the award included Jamaal Tinsley of the Indiana Pacers, Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat, Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers, Zach Randolph of the Portland Trail Blazers and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks.

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