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Covington, Embiid receive All-NBA Defensive honors

Published  May 23, 2018 2:28pm EDT
Philadelphia 76ers
FOX 29 Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF) - Two Philadelphia 76ers starters are being recognized by the NBA for their defensive efforts during the 2017-18 season.

Robert Covington has been named to the NBA All-Defensive First Team, while Joel Embiid, a Defensive Player of the Year Finalist, was named to the second team.

This is the first All-Defensive selection for both players.

During the season, Covington averaged 1.7 steal per game, and .9 blocks per game and was known for his tough on-ball defense.

Embiid averaged 1.8 blocks per game as well as .6 steals, and was a dominant defensive force in front of the basket.

The defensive efforts of Embiid and Covington helped lead the Sixers to a #3 seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs, where they advanced to the second round.

Earlier this week, rookie point guard Ben Simmons was named to the NBA All-Rookie first team and is a finalist for the NBA's rookie of the year.