Malcolm Brogdon, who was acquired in the offseason by Celtics, received 60 out of 100 votes to edge New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley
Mike Brown also won the award in 2009 with the Cleveland Cavaliers, guiding a team that won 66 games as LeBron James was named the league's Most Valuable Player.
De'Aaron Fox, 25, received 91 of 100 possible first-place votes from a media panel after being among the nominees by league head coaches.
Jackson led the league with 3.0 blocks per game this season, after finishing fifth in the defensive player of the year voting last season.
Lakers took advantage of Morant's absence late in the fourth quarter for a late surge that produced a 128-112 victory at Memphis while the top-seeded host Bucks, who lost Antetokounmpo, fell 130-117 to Miami Heat.
Towns had 28 points and 11 rebounds, and the Timberwolves muscled and hustled their way past the Oklahoma City Thunder 120-95 to finish the play-in tournament on Friday night
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 25 of his 32 points after halftime, including a go-ahead baseline jumper and four clutch free throws in the final 29 seconds, and Oklahoma City beat the Pelicans 123-118 on Wednesday night to remain alive in the Western Conference play-in tournament
The final day of the NBA season was predictably wild — with tons of unpredictable elements as well.
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, who scored 20 points, became the third player in NBA history to hit at least 300 3-pointers in a single season.
During a 1984 meeting at Nike headquarters, Vaccaro proposed devoting all the money that Nike had earmarked to recruit future NBA players to one man — rising sports star Jordan. Nearly 40 years later, the Nike partnership with Jordan has grown into an empire, with $5.1 billion in sales last year
The Clippers moved into fifth place in the Western Conference with the same record as reigning champions Golden State
Miami Heat losing to Washington Wizards made it easy for Brooklyn Nets to book their NBA playoff berth.
Milwaukee Bucks are a No 1 seed for the first time since 2020. Denver Nuggets has never previously been a No. 1 seed.
The Lakers improved their record to 39-38 — their first time over .500 this season — and more importantly leapfrogged ahead of the Timberwolves into seventh place in the tight Western Conference playoff race
The league and the National Basketball Players Association have a Friday deadline to opt out of the current deal on 30 June, a deadline that has been extended twice already.
James revealed the severity of the foot injury that forced him to miss 13 games for the Los Angeles Lakers in post-game comments, saying two doctors had recommended surgery.
Chicago Bulls handed Los Angeles Lakers a 118-108 loss to tighten their hold on the final Eastern Conference play-in spot and spoil LeBron James' return from a 13-game injury absence.
NBA MVP Jokic scored 31 points, handed out 11 assists and pulled down six rebounds, and the Nuggets held East leaders Milwaukee to 40 second-half points with the kind of dominant defensive display they've been accused of lacking this season
Kennard set a franchise record with 10 three-pointers, on just 11 attempts, as Memphis set a franchise record with 25 from beyond the arc
The main talking point between Warriors-Cavs was a bizarre moment in the third quarter, when Dallas came out onto the court following a timeout and set up on the wrong side of the court
Ja Morant, who plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, has not played since posting video of himself in a Colorado strip club brandishing a firearm on 4 March.
Ja Morant, whose suspension cost him $669,000 in salary and possibly a chance to max out his five-year contract, also has to keep working on himself away from basketball
Embiid, one of the front-runners for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award, rattled in another 38 points during a one-sided road victory.
Forbes magazine rated the Hornets with a value of $1.7 billion last October, fourth-lowest among the NBA's 30 clubs
Ja Morant, banned for "conduct detrimental to the league," missed his sixth game for the Grizzlies after undergoing counseling and therapy
The Bucks have won 21 of their past 23 games in an impressive two-month run. The Suns have dropped three straight.
Embiid scored 39 points as the Philadelphia Sixers, trailing Portland Trail Blazers by 21 points in the second quarter and down by 13 with less than six minutes remaining, snatched a 120-119 win.
The Glendale Police Department confirmed it was investigating the circumstances surrounding Ja Morant's video, which led to the NBA star being suspended
Durant, traded to Phoenix in a blockbuster move from the Nets last month, delivered a signature clutch performance to guide the Suns to victory.
Jo Morant will miss at least two games, the Memphis Grizzlies said, without further comment