Pacers' Artest honored

NEW YORK -- Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest made the NBA's all-defensive first team for the first time in voting announced Monday.\nGuards Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Bruce Bowen of San Antonio, Detroit center Ben Wallace and Minnesota forward Kevin Garnett also were chosen.\nArtest recently was the runaway choice for the defensive player of the year. He finished third in the league in steals (2.08 per game) and held the players he guarded to 8.1 points a game.\nWallace ranked second in rebounds (12.4) and blocks (3.04) and seventh in steals (1.77). He is a two-time defensive player of the year, and made the first team for third straight season.\nGarnett, who led the NBA in rebounding (13.9) was chosen for the fifth consecutive year, and Bryant made it for the third time. Bowen was picked for the second team last season.\nThe second team this season included San Antonio forward Tim Duncan, New Jersey guard Jason Kidd, Utah forward Andrei Kirilenko, Portland center Theo Ratliff and Sacramento guard Doug Christie.\nThe honors were chosen by the NBA head coaches. The coaches could not vote for players on their own teams.