Drew, Del Negro named NBA coaches of the month

Atlanta Hawks' Larry Drew and the Los Angeles Clippers' Vinny Del Negro have been named the NBA Eastern and Western Conference Coaches of the Month, respectively, for games played in December.

Drew led the Hawks to a 10-5 (.667) month, including a 4-3 record on the road. Atlanta notched victories over the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls during December, a month in which the Hawks shot .456 from the field as a team and .384 from three-point range. For the first time in team history, the Hawks connected on 10-or-more three-pointers in four consecutive games (Dec. 22-29).

Del Negro led the Clippers to a perfect 16-0 record in December, including wins over the Boston Celtics and three wins over the Utah Jazz. The Clippers' franchise-best 17-game winning streak, which included the sixteen December wins, ended with their first game in January. The streak stands as the longest in the NBA since the 2008 season when Boston won 19 consecutive games.

Other nominees for Coach of the Month were Golden State's Mark Jackson, Indiana's Frank Vogel, Miami's Erik Spoelstra, New York's Mike Woodson, Oklahoma City's Scott Brooks and Portland's Terry Stotts.