The Rockets win a pair of major awards on NBA Awards night

HOUSTON - Russell Westbrook was voted the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

Westbrook had a spectacular season for Oklahoma City, which is it what he had to have to win the award over Rockets star James Harden.

Meanwhile, the Rockets franchise had a big night otherwise.

Guard Eric Gordon was voted the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year.

He is the first player from the Rockets franchise to win that honor.

"Coach (Mike) D'Antoni definitely wanted me to win this award when he told me 'hey you make us a better team if you come off the bench,'" Gordon said.

"This award definitely means a lot. It means I'm headed in the right direction. It means I was a major and big difference coming into the games. As long as it makes our team better then I'm all good for it.

D'Antoni is the third coach in Rockets history to win the NBA Coach of the Year Award.

"Ultimately, I do not win this. It's teams and organizations, and the Houston Rockets have the best organization in the league and is led by (owner) Leslie Alexsander, who does an unbelievable job," D'Antoni said.

"He had the vision of pace and space for years and I appreciate it, but in the end the people who have to execute every night are the players, and we have the best."

During his speech D'Antoni thanked everybody in the Rockets organization from Alexander on down.

Also, Rockets guard Pat Beverley, voted to the NBA's All-Defensive First Team, which was announced earlier on Monday, was named the winner of the NBA's Hustle Award for the 2016-17 season during the NBA Awards Show on TNT.