NEW YORK — Anthony Mason, the rugged power forward who was a defensive force in the NBA from the 1990s into the early 21st century, has died. He was 48.New York Knicks spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz confirmed Mason's death, which was first reported Saturday by the New York Daily News.The 6-foot-7 Mason won the NBA's Sixth Man award in 1995 with a Knicks team that was eliminated in the second round of the playoffs in one of its classic clashes with the Indiana Pacers.