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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 8:15 a.m., Tuesday, April 21, 2009

NBA: Magic's Howard wins defensive player of the year

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
Associated Press Writer

ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard is the NBA's defensive player of the year.

Howard received 542 points, including 105 first-place votes from a panel of 119 writers and broadcasters. Cleveland's LeBron James was second with 148 points and Miami's Dwyane Wade finished third with 90 points.

The announcement was made Tuesday.

The 23-year-old Howard is the youngest player to win the award.

Howard is only the fifth player to lead the league in blocks and rebounds in the same season.

He led the Magic to 59 wins in the regular season, one shy of tying the best record in franchise history set in the 1995-96 season. Orlando trails Philadelphia 1-0 in the first round of the playoffs.

Howard averaged 13.8 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game this season.