Malone, Rivers named NBA's Coaches of the Month for January

Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone and Philadelphia 76ers head coach Doc Rivers have been named the NBA's West and East Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in January.

Malone helped lead the Nuggets to a 12-4 record in January, including wins over the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers (twice), Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers among others. At one point last month, Denver won nine-straight games.

The Nuggets are the top seed in the West, so Malone and his staff will be coaching Team LeBron in the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Denver currently has the second-best offense in the NBA, scoring 115.5 points per 100 possessions.

Under Rivers, the 76ers won 11-of-13 games in January, including victories over the Nuggets, Clippers, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets. Philadelphia has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference (33-17), and they are just three games back from the top-seeded Celtics.

Denver and Philly also had the NBA's West and East Players of the Month for January, with Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid taking home that honor.

The other nominees for the Coach of the Month award were Mark Daigneault (OKC), Chris Finch (MIN), Mike Budenholzer (MIL), Joe Mazzulla (BOS) and Erik Spoelstra (MIA).