Indiana Pacers swingman Danny Granger won the NBA's Most Improved Player award on Tuesday after averaging a career high 25.8 points last season.

The guard/forward received 364 of a possible 605 points, including 48 first-place votes, from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters in the United States and Canada.

New Jersey Nets point guard Devin Harris finished second with 339 points (43 first-place votes).

In his fourth year, Granger was the league's fifth leading scorer, averaging 6.2 points higher than the previous season and 9.4 points above his career average (16.4).

Granger became the first NBA player to raise his scoring average by at least five points in three consecutive seasons and also contributed 5.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

(Reuters via China Daily May 14, 2009)