Serge Ibaka, second on the Defensive Player of the Year ballot

By just a few votes, Serge Ibaka finished runner-up to Tyson Chandler for Defensive Player of the Year. Tyson Chandler of the New York Knicks is the recipient of the 2011-12 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Award, the NBA announced Wednesday. Chandler becomes the first player in franchise history to earn the honor. A panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters voted on the award, with five points awarded for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote.

Chandler received 311 points, including 45 first-place votes, from a panel of 121 sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada. Oklahoma City's Serge Ibaka finished second with 294 points and Orlando's Dwight Howard, who had won the award each of the previous three seasons, finished third with 186 points. Players were awarded five points for each first-place vote, three points for each second-place vote and one point for each third-place vote received.

Ibaka has registered 3.7 shot-blocker a game while having three games of 10 or more, the first player to do that since Shawn Bradley in the 1996-97 season. Ibaka actually finished just 19 blocks shy of the New Jersey Nets and had more than a hundred more than DeAndre Jordan, who finished second.