for basketball fans

[Seán Fitzpatrick]

<<Abigail Zitin wrote: Does this quotation indicate that John Moore is ... defending the other team's point guard?>>

Within athletic jargon, is transitive "defend" used any more with the thing protected as a direct object (e.g., defend the goal)?
Has "defend" + (aggressor as direct object) replaced "defend against" in general usage (e.g., The White House today defended Democratic criticism)?
Seán Fitzpatrick