Artest voted top NBA defender

Ron Artest finally got the type of recognition he says he deserves.

The Indiana forward was the runaway choice for NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday, the same day he was suspended for one game for leaving the bench during a confrontation in the Pacers' playoff win over the Boston Celtics.

He received 476 points out of a possible 605, including 80 of 121 first-place votes from a panel of sports writers and broadcasters.

"I've been doing it behind the scenes since I was a rookie in Chicago," Artest said. "It's just been behind the scenes. People know I'm coming out to stop them and it hasn't changed since."

Two-time defensive player of the year winner Ben Wallace of Detroit finished second, and Portland's Theo Ratliff was third.

San Antonio's Bruce Bowen finished fourth and Jazz all-star forward Andrei Kirilenko was fifth. Kirilenko received 67 points in the voting, well behing Wallace (325) and just behind Ratliff (90) and Bowen (76).

Artest was suspended for one game by the NBA on Monday for leaving the bench during a confrontation in the Pacers' playoff win over the Boston Celtics.