Gasol wins NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award

NEW YORK, April 24 (UPI) -- Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has been voted the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year, the league said Wednesday.

Gasol averaged 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steals a game this last season. He also scored 14.1 points and had 7.8 rebounds over 80 games in 2012-13.

Memphis posted the league-best scoring defense in the regular season, allowing 88.7 points per game.

Gasol was listed first on 30 of the 121 ballots from writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA. He totaled 212 points.

Miami's LeBron James was second with 18 first-place votes and 149 points. Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka, with 122 points, was third. Ibaka was second last year to Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks.