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 Forward Blake Griffin was ejected after receiving his second
technical foul with 2:36 remaining in the second quarter, and the
Suns turned a one-point lead at that point into a 118-104 victory
behind guards Brandon Knight and Eric Bledsoe.
Knight tied a career high with 37 points, and Bledsoe added 26 as
the Suns (4-4) broke a two-game losing streak.
Clippers coach Doc Rivers pointed to the second technical on Griffin
as the game-changer.
"I just thought it was awful," Rivers said. "He didn't say enough.
It is tough, not because we already had two guys out, but you just
wonder, Blake Griffin?"
Griffin scored on a nifty left-handed layup after a move from the
left side but was called for his second technical foul by referee
Brian Forte while returning upcourt following the play. He finished
with 11 points, three rebounds and four assists in 16 minutes.
Griffin and Suns forward Mirza Teletovic were called for offsetting
technical fouls with 6:19 remaining in the second quarter, about a
minute after Suns reserve guard Ronnie Price sustained a concussion
when he was struck in the face by an elbow from Los Angeles forward
Josh Smith.
"We get techs, we get everything," Rivers said. "That was a loss of
composure. That is the bottom line."
Knight shot 14-for-22 from the field and made six of 10 3-point
field-goal attempts while tying a career best set with the Milwaukee
Bucks on Dec. 31, 2013, against the Los Angeles Lakers.
"They were pretty consistent with what I have been getting," Knight
said of his shots. "The same shots I got the first time we played
the Clippers. They just went down tonight. Just continuing to be
consistent and confident and work on my game. Those shots will
fall."
Bledsoe, reinserted late when the Clippers got within 15, had 10
rebounds and nine assists, falling just short of his fourth career
triple-double. Bledsoe spent his first three seasons with the
Clippers.
"Having a triple-double would have been fun, but at the end of the
day, it is about the win," Bledsoe said. "Brandon was on fire."
Reserve forward T.J. Warren tied a career high with 18 points, and
reserve forward Jon Leuer added 10 points and 11 rebounds for the
Suns. Phoenix led 100-75 on Warren's basket two minutes into the
fourth quarter.
Reserve guard Jamal Crawford led the Clippers (5-4) with 18 points,
and reserve guard Wesley Johnson had 14.
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Clippers center DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and nine rebounds. He
made five of 13 free throws, including two of nine in the second
quarter when the Suns fouled him intentionally to disrupt several
possessions.
Suns forward Markieff Morris sustained what the team called a slight
left knee sprain in the first quarter. He played only six minutes,
scoring five points.
Bledsoe had 22 points and Knight 19 in the first half, when the Suns
took the play to Clippers fill-in guards Austin Rivers and Pablo
Prigioni, who combined for 17 points in the game on 6-of-18
shooting.
"We had bad spirit tonight," Austin Rivers said. "We let their
guards get so comfortable tonight. I pride myself on playing defense
and being a defensive stopper. My man had 30 points. The other one
had 37. That was a bad game. Disappointing game."
Bledsoe and Knight were 15-for-23 in the first half and had 41
points as the Suns took a 58-49 lead into the break.
The Suns scored nine of the final 10 first-half points after Griffin
was ejected, and the Clippers were not able to climb within 10
points in the final 21 minutes.
NOTES: Clippers G Chris Paul, who has been affected by finger, groin
and eye injuries this season, did not play because of the groin
injury. "He's just not had a lot of fun so far," coach Doc Rivers.
"I guess you'd rather have it now, but it hurts us. When he's not
great, we're not as good, obviously." Paul sustained by a fractured
left index finger during the team's preseason work in China. ...
Clippers G J.J. Redick did not play after being removed in the
second quarter of a 118-108 loss to Dallas on Wednesday with lower
back spasms. Rivers said he doubts Redick will play in the team's
home game against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday. ... The Suns
broke an eight-game losing streak in the series. ... After three
days off, the Suns played the first of four games in seven days
Thursday.
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