NBA: James Harden named MVP at annual NBA awards

Harden lead the league in scoring.
Harden lead the league in scoring. Photo credit: Getty

Houston Rockets guard James Harden has been named the 2018/19 NBA Most Valuable Player at their annual awards on Tuesday (NZ time).

Harden had a phenomenal season for the Rockets, leading the league in scoring (34 points per game) and steering his team to the Western Conference finals for the first time since 1995, losing a hotly contested seven-game series to the Golden State Warriors.

The Los Angeles native beat out fellow nominees LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Anthony Davis of the New Orleans Pelicans for the award, which only takes into account performnace during the regular season.

Other winners included Philadelphia's Australian sensation Ben Simmons, who edged Utah's Donovan Mitchell for Rookie of the Year in one of the most tightly fought races in years.

Simmons was drafted number one in the 2015/16 NBA Draft, but was forced to sit out his first year with injury. Fully rehabbed heading into last season, the Melburnian took the league by storm, filling up the stat sheet with averages of 16.3 points, eight rebounds, eight assists and almost two steals per game.

The 21-year-old combined with outstanding 'big' and fellow "Process" partner Joel Embiid to guide the Sixers to the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs, where they fell to the Boston Celtics in five games.

Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers took home his second Sixth Man of the Year, an award he also won as part of the Toronto Raptors in 2014. Williams sparked his side off the bench to the tune of 22 points and five assists per game.

In one of the more awkward moments of the ceremony, Dwane Casey, who was fired at the end of the season by the Raptors, despite leading them to a franchise-record 59 wins, was named Coach of the Year.

Casey will take the helm of the Detroit Pistons next season, where he's committed to a five-year deal.

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo claimed the Most Improved Player in arguably the most straightforward decision of the day.

Steven Adams' former teammate enjoyed a remarkable rise in Indiana, increasing his per-game scoring by a staggering eight points and leading the league in steals (2.4 per game).

French centre Rudy Gobert of the Jazz won Defensive Player of the Year, averaging two blocks and almost two steals per game as the anchor of the NBA's best team defence.

Newshub.