Overview
- The NBA announced on Jan. 2 that Johnson earned the Western Conference award and Mazzulla took the Eastern Conference honor for games in December.
- San Antonio posted an NBA-best 11-3 record with a 118.9 offensive rating and 112.0 defensive rating, including three wins over the Thunder and a 6-1 road mark.
- The Spurs’ month featured a run to the Emirates NBA Cup final, which is not counted in regular-season standings.
- Boston went 9-3 with the league’s top December offensive rating at 124.3 and a +11.0 net rating while Jayson Tatum remained sidelined.
- It is Johnson’s first Coach of the Month award and Mazzulla’s fifth, chosen over nominees David Adelman, Mark Daigneault, Chris Finch, J.B. Bickerstaff, Mike Brown, and Jordi Fernandez.