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Third time was the charm for James Harden.

The Houston Rockets star was voted the NBA’s Most Valuable Player after twice being runner-up Womens Mitchell Trubisky Jersey , beating out four-time winner LeBron James and Anthony Davis of the Pelicans at the NBA Awards on Monday night.

Harden joined Michael Jordan as the only players to average at least 20 points, eight assists, five rebounds and 1.7 steals in a season.

He led the league in scoring, 3-pointers and 50-point games with four while helping the Rockets to an NBA-leading 65 wins.

”The last four years have been like knocking on the door, knocking on the door. Now the moment is finally here,” Harden said backstage. ”Just every single year you try to come back and be better than you were the year before, and just to be holding that trophy finally, it means a lot.”

James didn’t attend the show in Barker Hangar at the Santa Monica Airport amid frenzied speculation about his future. He has until Friday to tell the Cavaliers if he will pick up his $35.6 million option for next season or opt for free agency.

Harden, who is from Los Angeles, led his mother on stage before he accepted the trophy from Commissioner Adam Silver.

”I’m not going to get emotional,” he said from behind dark sunglasses. ”She’s my backbone in good times and bad times.”

Harden received a total of 965 points and 86 first-place votes. James finished second with 738 points and 15 first-place votes, while Davis was third with 445 points and no first-place votes.

Harden didn’t prepare a speech.

”I felt like last year I should have won as well, so I didn’t see a difference between last year and this year Authentic Andrew Luck Jersey ,” he said backstage. ”If I won it, then I was going to go off the top and try to show my appreciation to everybody helping me along the way.”

Harden’s teammate, Chris Paul, popped up among reporters backstage and asked Harden how many bottles of liquor Rockets CEO Tad Brown would have to buy at the next location.

”Couple cases,” Harden said, grinning.

The Rockets had another winner in Daryl Morey, who was honored as Executive of the Year.

In other awards, Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia 76ers won Rookie of the Year.

The guard averaged 15 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, joining Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only rookies to post those numbers in a season.

Simmons helped Philadelphia to a 52-30 record, including ending the season with a 16-game winning streak.

He beat out finalists Donovan Mitchell of Utah and Jayson Tatum of Boston.

Guard Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers earned Most Improved Player.

He averaged 23.1 points in his first season with the Pacers while nabbing his first All-Star berth. He also led the league in steals for the first time.

The Defensive Player of the Year went to center Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz.

He was the leading vote-getter for the league’s All-Defensive first team while anchoring a Jazz defense that ranked second in the NBA in defensive rating.

Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers took Sixth Man honors.

The guard became the first player to average at least 20 points for the first time in his 13th season or later. He led the league in fourth-quarter points and scoring average.

Williams kissed his two young daughters on his way to the stage after becoming the Clippers’ third winner in the last five years.

Dwane Casey was chosen Coach of the Year for his work with the Toronto Raptors, who fired him last month. He has since become coach of the Detroit Pistons.

”Can’t look in the rear view mirror,” Casey said backstage. ”Winston Churchill said success is measured by failure Womens Antonio Brown Jersey , failure, and then come back with enthusiasm, and that’s what I’ve done.”

Casey led the Raptors to the No. 1 seed in the East for the first time in franchise history after winning a team-record 59 games. Casey coached the East in the All-Star Game for the first time.

Casey won over Quin Snyder of Utah and Brad Stevens of Boston.

Robertson received the Lifetime Achievement Award from presenters Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

After Barkley mentioned last year’s recipient Bill Russell, Boston’s Hall of Fame center flipped his middle finger in Barkley’s direction.

Robertson is the career leader in triple-doubles and was the first player to average one for a season. His antitrust case against the NBA also ushered in free agency for players, which Robertson said was his most important assist.

Backstage, Robertson commended the activism of today’s players, although he wondered why more white athletes aren’t speaking out.

”The only thing that really bothers me is where are the white athletes when this is happening?” he said. ”This is not a black athlete problem. You see injustice in the world. It’s all around.”

Robertson went on to say he hopes ”the whites and the blacks get together, even with the football,” a reference to NFL players who have taken a knee or sat in silence during the national anthem to protest police brutality and racial inequality.

Former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo received the Sager Strong Award, named for the late Turner Sports broadcaster. He donned a garish sports coat similar to what Craig Sager always wore.

The Hustle Award went to Amir Johnson of the 76ers.

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In an interleague matchup between two offensively challenged last-place teams, a pair of runs was plenty for the Miami Marlins against the light-hitting Baltimore Orioles.

Jose Urena became the latest pitcher to raise his win total and lower his ERA against the Orioles, pitching eight innings of three-hit ball in a 2-0 victory Friday night.

It was the eighth straight loss for the Orioles, their longest skid since July 2011. The Orioles have dropped 15 of 17 overall and 10 straight at home Youth JuJu Smith-Schuster Jersey , scoring only 14 runs.

”We’ve got some people that we know are capable of a lot better just aren’t able to produce right now,” manager Buck Showalter said. ”There’s a lot of positive things being said before the game, and it just seems when we get into the game, we get back in that same situation we’ve been in many times.”

Urena (2- struck out four and walked one in his longest and most efficient outing of the season.

”He’s a strong kid, and honestly if we had a bigger lead I would’ve sent him back out,” manager Don Mattingly said. ”He could’ve finished that.”

Urena, who started for Miami on opening day, is 2-1 in June after an 0-7 start.

”That was pretty good,” he said of his 112-pitch performance. ”I tried to attack the batters in the zone. That was the plan.”

Kyle Barraclough worked a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

Lewis Brinson hit two triples for the Marlins, who have won four of five.

”We just keep scratching and clawing,” right fielder Brian Anderson said. ”Our pitching has been great.”

Baltimore’s only hit over the first six innings was a single by Corban Joseph, recalled from Double-A Bowie before the game. The Orioles rank last in the AL in runs and batting average, and the trend continued in their eighth shutout loss.

Kevin Gausman (3-6) opened the game by throwing six straight pitches out of the strike zone. He only gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings Authentic Landon Collins Jersey , but it was two too many.

”Any runs our pitchers give up is magnified because we’re struggling so much to score,” Showalter said.

Gausman is 0-4 in six starts since May 11.

Miami went up 1-0 in the fifth on a two-out RBI single by Anderson. In the sixth, JT Riddle hit a two-out single and Brinson delivered his second triple.

That was the extent of Miami’s offense. The Marlins came in tied for last in the NL in runs.

Now in his third season, Brinson hit two triples in his first 88 big league games before doubling that total in Game 89. He became the eighth Marlins player to hit two in game.

DAVIS BENCHED

Orioles 1B Chris Davis has essentially been benched in the wake of a season-long slump.

Davis is batting .150 with four home runs, 15 RBIs and 86 strikeouts in 52 games. He hasn’t played since Monday, and there’s no telling when he will be back in the lineup.

”Chris is continuing with some things that he’s working on,” Showalter said.

PLENTY OF MOVES

Marlins: Reinstated RHP Brett Graves from the 60-day DL; transferred LHP Chris O’Grady to the 60-day DL; placed LHP Caleb Smith on the bereavement list; optioned RHP Ben Meyer to Triple-A New Orleans; and recalled RHP Merandy Gonzalez from Double-A Jacksonville.

Orioles: LHP Richard Bleier was placed on the DL and will likely require season-ending shoulder surgery. In addition, Baltimore recalled LHP Tanner Scott from Triple-A Norfolk; selected the contract of INF Corban Joseph from Double-A Bowie; optioned right-hander Yefry Ramirez to Norfolk; and designated lefty D.J. Snelten for assignment.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Marlins: 3B Miguel Rojas left in the sixth inning after a pitch hit him on the left hand and ricocheted to his face. … INF Garrett Cooper (wrist) is participating in all baseball activities and live batting practice. … LHP Chris O’Grady (shoulder) threw a bullpen Thursday.

Orioles: INF Tim Beckham (groin strain) began his rehab assignment at third base with Bowie, going 0 for 2 with a walk.

UP NEXT

Marlins: Former Oriole Wei-Yin Chen (1-3, 6.13 ERA) makes his first appearance at Camden Yards since 2015 on Saturday afternoon. The lefty made his big league debut with Baltimore in 2012.

Orioles: Alex Cobb (2-8, 7.23) is 3-1 with a 1.78 ERA in four career starts against the Marlins.

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