Bowen, Wallace head up All-Defensive team

Leading vote-getter Bruce Bowen and defensive player of the year Ben Wallace were among six players who made the NBA All-Defensive first team Thursday.

Bowen received 55 points, one more than Wallace, in making the All-Defensive team for the sixth consecutive season. The San Antonio forward is regarded as one of the league’s best defenders for his ability to contain anyone from small guards to big forwards.

Wallace was selected to the first team for the fifth straight year. The Pistons center recently was chosen as the league’s top defensive player for the fourth time in five years.

Joining them on the first team were Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko, Sacramento’s Ron Artest, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and New Jersey guard Jason Kidd. Bryant and Kidd tied for the final spot on the first team.

Detroit put Chauncey Billups and Tayshaun Prince on the second team. The other second-team selections were the Spurs’ Tim Duncan, Minnesota’s Kevin Garnett and Denver center Marcus Camby.

Up to state to keep Hornets

A lawyer for New Orleans Hornets owner George Shinn said the NBA club is Louisiana’s to lose, stressing that relocation would be certain if the state and city can’t come up with a plan to get a promised new practice facility built next to the New Orleans Arena.

However, Bill Hines said he was confident the state would not renege on what he regarded as a relatively minor $8.5 million commitment toward the practice building, which was part of the 2002 deal that brought the Hornets here from Charlotte, N.C.