Phoenix Suns’ Eric Bledsoe, Goran Dragic show they can hang with best of backcourts

Eric Bledsoe and Slovenian Goran Dragic combined to outduel Golden State stars Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson in Phoenix's 106-102 win on Sunday night.

Eric Bledsoe scored 24 points for the Suns on Sunday. Christian Petersen / Getty Images / AFP
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PHOENIX, United States // Taking on the NBA’s most prolific backcourt, Eric Bledsoe and Goran Dragic more than held their own.

Bledsoe scored seven of his 24 points in the fourth quarter and Dragic added 21 points to help the Phoenix Suns hold off Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors 106-102 Sunday night for their fifth straight win.

“For this game, facing one of the best 1-2 punches in the game right now, it was a challenge,” Bledsoe said. “We definitely feel good about ourselves.”

Bledsoe added eight rebounds and eight assists and Channing Frye added 20 for the Suns, who snapped a six-game losing streak against Golden State.

Curry scored 30 points, including 20 in the second half, and Klay Thompson added 19 for the Warriors, who have lost three of four. David Lee added 18 points and 13 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double.

“I am finding that the guys in the suit and tie want it more than the guys in uniform,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “It’s disappointing right now. We are going to be fine, but it’s disappointing to once again lose in the same fashion.

“We see it. Everybody sees it. But I don’t see anybody in uniform with that same passion. Enough is enough at some point. We are watching the same movie every single night.”

The Warriors lost even though Curry and Thompson bettered their 44 points-per-game average and went a combined 6 for 11 on 3-pointers.

“We think our guards can play with any of them,” Suns coach Jeff Hornacek said. “Those are two great guards that they have on that team and our guys fought them all game.”

Golden State trailed by as many as nine in the third quarter, but pulled to within 76-75 on Curry’s 3-pointer that capped a 10-2 Golden State run.

Marreese Speights brought the Warriors even for the first time since 3:41 of the first quarter, sinking a 3-pointer with 1:15 left in the third to knot the score at 81-all.

But Golden State, which surrendered the lead for the final time five minutes into the game, could not pull ahead despite Curry’s best efforts.

“They did a great job of fighting back in it, but we did a great job of staying solid,” Bledsoe said.

Phoenix opened the fourth quarter leading 81-80 and stretched the lead to six on Bledsoe’s jumper with 9:20 to go. Curry made it 92-91 on a 3-pointer with 7:49 left, but Marcus Morris hit a jump shot and added a free throw to stretch the lead to 95-91.

Thompson made two free throws with 5:21 left to cut the Suns’ lead to one and had a chance to give Golden State the lead, but his 3-point attempt bounced off the back iron.

Bledsoe and Frye hit consecutive 3-pointers to put the Suns ahead 102-95 with 3:19 left. Curry answered with a long 3-pointer from the top of the key to make it 102-100 with 1:37 left.

“With those guys you never know,” Dragic said. “Even when you’re up 15, they still can win the game.”

Curry missed a forced 15-footer with the shot clock running down while defended by PJ Tucker and Bledsoe made two free throws to secure the win.

“He played good defence. I couldn’t get a shot off,” Curry said. “I tried to draw a foul and get him up in the air but he didn’t go for it.”

OTHER SUNDAY RESULTS

Trail Blazers 111, Pistons 109 (Overtime)

Point guard Damian Lillard’s spinning shot in the lane in the final second of overtime gave the Portland Trail Blazers a victory over the Detroit Pistons.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Trail Blazers (21-4) with 27 points and 12 rebounds, and Lillard finished with 23 points and seven assists.

Forward Josh Smith scored a season-high 31 points for the Pistons (11-14).

Kings 106, Rockets 91

Rudy Gay, playing his first home game with the Kings after he was acquired in a trade with the Toronto Raptors, scored a game-high 26 points to lead his new team to victory.

The Rockets (16-9) had a sloppy first half, committing 11 turnovers, and the Kings took advantage to build a 57-49 advantage at halftime.

James Harden left the game with a left ankle injury early in the third quarter, but returned and finished with 25 points in the loss.

Timberwolves 101, Grizzlies 93

The Minnesota Timberwolves made a season-high 12 three-pointers and got 30 points from power forward Kevin Love as they defeated the Memphis Grizzlies.

Love hit four of eight from three-point range and Minnesota made 12 of 26 long-range attempts. Love also had nine rebounds and four assists.

Grizzlies point guard Mike Conley limped off the court with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter after scoring a team-high 28 points.

Nuggets 102, Pelicans 93

JJ Hickson and Wilson Chandler each scored 19, with Hickson adding 11 rebounds as Denver, expected to have a down year before the season, improved to 14-9.

Nate Robinson added 14 points off the bench for the Nuggets, while Ryan Anderson led the Pelicans (11-11) with 26 points on 10-of-21 shooting.

Thunder 101, Magic 98

Kevin Durant scored 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting and added nine rebounds, five assists, a steal and two blocks to help Oklahoma City (19-4) narrowly edge Orlando (7-17).

Russell Westbrook also filled up the stat sheet, scoring 20, pulling 12 rebounds and dishing six assists. Jeremy Lamb shot 7-for-10 off the bench to score 16 for the Thunder.

The Magic kept it close thanks to 25 points from Arron Afflalo and 13 points and 16 rebounds from Montenegrin center Nikola Vucevic.