Detroit's Ben Wallace, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and San Antonio's Bruce Bowen highlighted the 2005-06 NBA All-Defensive Team.

 

Wallace is making his fifth consecutive appearance on the All-Defensive First Team, while Bowen, the leading vote getter, was named to the honor squad for the sixth year in a row.

 

Joining them were forwards Ron Artest of Sacramento, Andrei Kirilenko of Utah and two guards that finished level for the final berth on the squad, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Jason Kidd of the New Jersey Nets.

 

It was Bryant's sixth nod onto the squad and Kidd's seventh. Bryant, the NBA scoring leader with 35.4 points a game, was ninth in the league in steals with 1.8 a game. Kidd was eighth at 1.9 steals a game and also averaged 7.3 rebounds.

 

Bowen had 55 total points to 54 for Pistons center Wallace. Russia's Kirilenko was next with 44 points followed by Artest at 30 and Bryant and Kidd on 28.

 

Kirilenko is on the All-Defensive team for the third time. Artest, the 2004 Defensive Player of the Year, is on for a second time.

 

Wallace was the NBA's only player in the top 10 for rebounds, blocked shots and steals. He ranked fourth with 11.3 rebounds a game, ninth in blocks at 2.2 a game and steals with 1.8 a contest.

 

Bowen anchored the Spurs to the NBA's second-best scoring defense, allowing just 88 points a game.

 

Kirilenko swatted aside an NBA-best 220 shots while Artest had three or more steals in 14 games and after being traded from Indiana to Sacramento in January helped the Kings finish 25-14 and reach the playoffs for the eighth year in a row.

 

The All-Defensive Second Team consists of San Antonio's Tim Duncan, Detroit's Tayshaun Prince and Chauncey Billups, Denver's Marcus Camby and Minnesota's Kevin Garnett.

 

The voting panel consisted of the league's 30 coaches, who were asked to pick NBA All-Defensive First and Second Teams by position.

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2006)