Rudy Gobert, Paul George, Giannis headline NBA All-Defensive teams
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Toronto Raptors center Marc Gasol (33) moves the ball pass Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (34) during the second half of Game 4 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals, Tuesday, in Toronto.
NEW YORK >> Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert and MVP finalists Giannis Antetokounmpo and Paul George were the leading vote-getters for the All-Defensive first team.
Boston’s Marcus Smart and Milwaukee’s Eric Bledsoe rounded out the first team that was announced today.
Gobert finished with 97 first-team points and 196 points, giving the Utah center his third straight first-team selection. George had 96 first-team votes and 195 points, followed by Antetokounmpo (94, 193).
Smart and Bledsoe both earned their first All-Defensive team selections.
The second team included Golden State’s Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, who earned his first selection. They were joined by Toronto’s Kawhi Leonard, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and New Orleans guard Jrue Holiday.
The teams were selected by a panel of 100 writers and broadcasters.
