Australian duo Ben Simmons and Joe Ingles have been rewarded for fantastic individual seasons, with both players named as finalists for the NBA's season awards.
Simmons is a finalist for the Defensive Player of the Year award and is joined by Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz and Draymond Green of the Golden State Warriors.
MORE: Gobert hits back at Simmons over Defensive Player of the Year call
Ingles is a finalist for the Sixth Man of the Year award and is joined by Jazz teammate Jordan Clarkson and Derrick Rose of the New York Knicks.
Simmons' defensive potential has been on show since he entered the league back in the 2017-18 season, and he is a season removed from being named in the NBA's All-Defensive first team.
However, the 24-year-old will face stiff competition from Gobert, who is a two-time winner of the defensive award and a four-time All-Defensive first team member.
Despite Gobert's credentials, Simmons maintained confidence that his ability to guard multiple positions on the floor would put him over the top.
"I'm not even questioning it right now. I know I am (the best defender in the NBA). That's a fact," he said last month after a match-up against the Brooklyn Nets.
"The example would be last night. I was supposed to guard [Kevin Durant]. We match up well size wise. KD's out. The next person I'm guarding is Kyrie [Irving]. Like, who's doing that? It's not many players who are doing that.
"To be doing it at a high level like that, I don't think there's anybody else really doing that. I mean, Kawhi [Leonard] when he was really playing defence like that, of course. But it's not too many guys."
Winning the Sixth Man of the Year award would be a terrific achievement for Ingles, who has excelled since being moved into his new role over the last two seasons.
After being a consistent starter for the Jazz for two consecutive seasons, Ingles has started just 30 of his 67 years this season, but has put up career-highs in points (12.1), field goal percentage (48.9) and three-point percentage (45.1).
The NBA also revealed its finalists for the MVP award, with Warriors star Stephen Curry, Simmons' teammate Joel Embiid and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic the top three.
OTHER NBA AWARD FINALISTS
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER
Jerami Grant, Detroit Pistons
Michael Porter Jr, Denver Nuggets
Julius Randle, New York Knicks
COACH OF THE YEAR
Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
Tom Thibodeau, New York Knicks
Monty Williams, Phoenix Suns
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