Los Angeles - Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic is the NBA's new secretary of defense in a landslide decision.

Howard was named the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year on Tuesday, after becoming the fifth player in league history to finish tops in rebounds and blocked shots.

"To be the defensive player of the year at 23 is remarkable," Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. "To be a great defensive player usually comes later in a career. And he still has so much room for improvement."

Los Angeles  - NBA champions Boston Celtics said Tuesday that they had lost backup forward Leon Powe for the rest of the season because of injury.

Tests revealed that Powe suffered a torn ligament in his left knee during the first half of Monday night's 118-115 victory over the Chicago Bulls in game two of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series.

"Leon has an ACL tear and meniscus," Celtics coach Doc Rivers told the Boston Globe. "He's obviously out for the playoffs. Surgery will be determined when it's determined. So, obviously a tough break."

Los Angeles  - Mike Brown, who guided the Cleveland Cavaliers to a league and franchise-best 66-win season, was named on Monday the recipient of the Red Auerbach Trophy, honouring the NBA Coach of the Year.

Brown received 355 points, including 55 first-place votes, from a panel of 122 sportswriters and broadcasters to easily outdistance Houston's Rick Adelman (151), Orlando's Stan Van Gundy (150) and Portland's Nate McMillan (127 points).

"Mike Brown is a critical element as to why our franchise is growing into the kind of success we all envisioned and hoped to achieve," Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert said.

Los Angeles - As a youngster, he never thought about it, but Michael Jordan soared into the Hall of Fame like one of his patented slam dunks.

Arguably the greatest to ever play the game, Jordan was elected Monday to the class of 2009.

"Growing up, I would never have envisioned myself at any point in time, being in any Hall of Fame," Jordan said. "All I wanted was a chance to go to college and whatever happened after that happened."

Los Angeles  - The lowly Washington Wizards haven't had many highs this season, but they seem to rise to the occasion against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Caron Butler scored 25 points, Antawn Jamison had 19 and the Wizards regrouped after blowing a 14-point lead to snap the Cavaliers' franchise-best 13-game winning streak, with a 109-101 home-court victory on Thursday night.

Los Angeles  - With the game on the line, Paul Pierce had the ball and the Boston Celtics star didn't have to think twice about what he was going to do with it.

Pierce hit Ray Allen for the game-winning three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in the second overtime, lifting the Celtics to a dramatic 111-109 home-court victory over the pesky Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night.

"When you have one of the greatest shooters to ever play the game it's a no-brainer," said Pierce, who finished with a game-high 32 points. "I'll proclaim Ray the greatest shooter that I've ever seen in the history of the NBA. You have to talk about guys that have done it crucial situations and Ray has done it."