SAN ANTONIO — Kyle Korver has been a fan favorite in Utah since being traded to the Jazz from Philadelphia. Jazz fans haven't been the only ones to be impressed by the sharpshooting backup.
The fourth-year pro, who joined Utah at the end of December after being traded for Gordan Giricek, finished fourth in voting for the NBA's sixth man award given to the league's best reserve.
The award recipient came as no surprise. San Antonio Spurs guard Manu Ginobili was named the top sixth man after leading the Spurs in scoring, averaging a career-high 19.5 points with 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists. Ginobili came off the bench in 51 of the 74 games he played this season.
The Spurs have a 1-0 lead over the Phoenix Suns in their best-of-seven first-round playoff series. Suns guard Leandro Barbosa won the award last year.
Ginobili got 123 of 124 first-place votes. Barbosa came in second with 283 points and the Dallas Mavericks' Jason Terry was third with 44.
Korver received 34 points, finishing just ahead of Chicago's Ben Gordon (27 points). In 50 games with Utah this season — all off the bench — Korver averaged 9.8 points on 47.4 percent shooting (38.8 percent from 3-point territory), while chipping in two rebounds and 1.4 assists in 21.5 minutes. His long scoring range helped the Jazz stretch out opponents' defenses and gave Utah another offensive weapon.
Korver scored 11 points, including two 3-pointers, in the Jazz's 93-82 Game 1 first-round playoff win at Houston on Saturday night.
In order to be eligible for the sixth man award, players had to have come off the bench in more games than they started. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.
2007-08 NBA Sixth Man Award
2007-08 NBA SIXTH MAN AWARD PRESENTED BY KIA MOTORS VOTING
Player, Team ... 1st ... 2nd ... 3rd ... Pts
Manu Ginobili, San Antonio ... 123 ... - ... - ... 615
Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix ... 1 ... 84 ... 26 ... 283
Jason Terry, Dallas ... -- ... 9 ... 17 ... 44
Kyle Korver, Utah ... ... -- ... 7 ... 13 ... 34
Ben Gordon, Chicago ... -- ... 6 ... 9 ... 27
JR Smith, Denver ... ... -- ... 4 ... 10 ... 22
Josh Childress, Atlanta ... -- ... 5 ... 8 ... 23
James Posey, Boston ... -- ... 3 ... 10 ... 19
Jason Maxiell, Detroit ... -- ... 1 ... 8 ... 11
Travis Outlaw, Portland ... -- ... -- ... 11 ... 11
Linas Kleiza, Denver ... -- ... 1 ... 2 ... 5
Jordan Farmar, L.A. Lakers ... -- ... 1 ... 2 ... 5
Jerry Stackhouse, Dallas ... -- ... -- ... 4 ... 4
Rashad McCants, Minnesota ... -- ... 1 ... -- ... 3
Louis Williams, Philadelphia ... -- ... 1 ... -- ... 3
Jarrett Jack, Portland ... -- ... 1 ... -- ... 3
David Lee, New York ... -- ... -- ... 3 ... 3
Andres Nocioni, Chicago ... -- ... -- ... 1 ... 1
ALL-TIME NBA SIXTH MAN AWARD PRESENTED BY KIA MOTORS WINNERS
1982-83 ... Bobby Jones, Philadelphia 76ers
1983-84 ... Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics
1984-85 ... Kevin McHale, Boston Celtics
1985-86 ... Bill Walton, Boston Celtics
1986-87 ... Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee Bucks
1987-88 ... Roy Tarpley, Dallas Mavericks
1988-89 ... Eddie Johnson, Phoenix Suns
1989-90 ... Ricky Pierce, Milwaukee Bucks
1990-91 ... Detlef Schrempf, Indiana Pacers
1991-92 ... Detlef Schrempf, Indiana Pacers
1992-93 ... Clifford Robinson, Portland Trail Blazers
1993-94 ... Dell Curry, Charlotte Hornets
1994-95 ... Anthony Mason, New York Knicks
1995-96 ... Toni Kukoc, Chicago Bulls
1996-97 ... John Starks, New York Knicks
1997-98 ... Danny Manning, Phoenix Suns
1998-99 ... Darrell Armstrong, Orlando Magic
1999-00 ... Rodney Rogers, Phoenix Suns
2000-01 ... Aaron McKie, Philadelphia 76ers
2001-02 ... Corliss Williamson, Detroit Pistons
2002-03 ... Bobby Jackson, Sacramento Kings
2003-04 ... Antawn Jamison, Dallas Mavericks
2004-05 ... Ben Gordon, Chicago Bulls
2005-06 ... Mike Miller, Memphis Grizzlies
2006-07 ... Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix Suns
2007-08 ... Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs