Nelson Named NBA Coach of the Year for the Second Time in Three Seasons

Don Nelson, who rebuilt the Milwaukee Bucks into the National Basketball Assn.’s top defensive team and drove them to their sixth consecutive division title, Tuesday was named the league’s Coach of the Year for the second time in three seasons.

The Bucks’ 59-23 record in the Midwest Division, built on a league-low 104 points allowed per game, was the second-best in the Eastern Conference and third-best in the NBA, behind Boston and the Lakers. Milwaukee defeated Chicago in the first round of the playoffs before being swept by the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Nelson received 43 1/2 of 78 votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters regularly covering the NBA, three from each franchise city plus nine representatives from the national media.

Doug Moe, whose Denver Nuggets were 52-30--second-best in the Western Conference and won their first Midwest Division championship since 1978--received 19 votes. The Nuggets still are alive in the playoffs.

George Karl, a rookie head coach, received the remaining 15 1/2 votes after turning Cleveland around from its 2-19 start and pushing the Cavaliers into the playoffs for the first time since 1978.