WASHINGTON, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- Washington Wizards Gilbert Arenas and Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant, both are guards, were named the National Basketball Association's players of the month on Tuesday.

    Arenas posted games of 60 and 54 points in December, winning the East Conference player of the month award. With his first career award of the kind, he became the third player in club history to win the award, after Juwan Howard in April 1996 and Jeff Ruland in March and December 1983.

    Arenas, who also won a pair of player of the week in the month, helped the Wizards to a 12-4 mark that erased a six-game deficit and moved them into a tie with Orlando atop the Southeast Division.

    In December, he averaged 34.1 points and 6.2 assists while shooting 41 percent from 3-point range. He eclipsed 30 points 11 times and 40 points three times.

    On December 17, Arenas scored a league season-high and franchise-record 60 points in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. He set an NBA record with 16 points in overtime.

    Five days later, he scored 54 points in an overtime win at Phoenix, helping end a league season-high 15-game winning streak by the Suns.

    Bryant won the Western Conference award, averaging 30.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.4 assists in helping the Lakers to a 10-6 record in December.

    On December 15, Bryant had 53 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a double-overtime win over Houston. Two weeks later, he scored 58 points in a triple-overtime loss at Charlotte.