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SALT LAKE CITY- At the end of the long rainbow of the NBA season, Utah Jazz guard Rodney Hood found a pot of gold.
Hood was named the Western Conference’s Rookie of the Month for April, as he averaged 16.7 points a game in the month.
The rookie from Duke became the third Jazz player to win the monthly award in franchise history, behind Trey Burke and Karl Malone.
Hood scored a career-high 25 points in a win over Sacramento on April 5, and followed that up with 20 in a win over the Kings on April 8- both Utah wins. Additionally, he scored 21 points and had eight assists in a 111-105 win over Portland on April 11.
The Jazz finished April with a 5-3 record.
In a press release from the organization, Hood said the award was an honor.
“This is a big honor, and it is rewarding to have fought through adversity before finishing the season strong, both as a team and an individual,” he said. “My coaches and teammates have been really supportive of me throughout the year, during the course of both injury and rookie growing pains, and it has really helped knowing they are behind me."
Hood played in only 50 games for the season, missing time with a variety of injuries. At the team’s locker room cleanout event Thursday, Hood said staying healthy will be among his top goals next season.
