New York Knicks coach Mike Woodson finished third in the NBA's Coach of the Year balloting. Denver's George Karl won the award and Miami's Erik Spoelstra was the runner-up.
Woodson led the Knicks to 54 regular-season wins and their first Atlantic Division title in 13 years.
He navigated injuries to key players such as Carmelo Anthony and Raymond Felton during the season. He also implemented Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire back into the Knicks' lineup after both players returned from knee surgery.
Woodson received six first-place votes. Karl received 62 and Spoelstra 24.
"I tip my hat and congratulate George," Woodson said Wednesday on ESPN New York 98.7 FM. "... But I'm not in this for Coach of the Year. I'll tell you that right now. I've been in this league for 29 years as a coach and player and I'm only in it for one thing and that's to try to win a title."
Woodson finished ahead of San Antonio's Gregg Popovich and Indiana's Frank Vogel.
Surprisingly, Chicago's Tom Thibodeau finished eighth despite his team's success without Derrick Rose.
A panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada voted for the award.
LEAVE WASHBURN ALONE: Boston Globe writer Gary Washburn caused a stir on Sunday when he gave Carmelo Anthony a first-place vote for MVP.
Washburn's vote denied LeBron James the chance to become the first unanimous MVP winner in league history.
On Tuesday, Anthony defended Washburn's decision.
"I don't know why he caught so much flak for that. He has the right to vote for whoever he wants," Anthony said. "LeBron won the MVP. Why's everybody so mad that he didn't win it unanimously?"
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