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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
PHOENIX (AP) -- The Portland Trail Blazers went from hot-tempered
to just plain hot.
The Blazers overcame eight technical fouls and the ejections of Rasheed Wallace and coach Mike Dunleavy to beat the Phoenix Suns 105-83 Friday night for their fourth straight victory and 10th in
11 games.
|  | | Clifford Robinson's team-high 23 points weren't enough to stop the Suns from losing ... badly. |
Scottie Pippen scored all 13 of his points in the second half,
including a three-point play and 3-pointer as Portland turned the
game into a rout in the fourth quarter. He also had nine rebounds,
seven assists and six steals.
"He got us started, jump-started us," Dunleavy said. "He was
a calming influence and he got our heads into the game.
The Blazers outscored Phoenix 62-31 in the second half, 33-13 in
the fourth quarter.
"You've got to continue to play throughout. We showed some
maturity. We just continued to fight, yet we were playing the
officials as well as the Suns, then things started to look up for
us," Pippen said.
Arvydas Sabonis, back after missing four games with a viral
infection, scored 23 points on 6-for-7 shooting from the field and
11-for-11 at the foul line. He also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Steve Smith, out of the starting lineup for the first time this season because he was battling the flu, scored 22 for Portland,
which trailed by as many as 15 in first half.
"I'm still feeling a little woozy," said Smith, who had a
103-degree fever on Thursday. "Me and Mike talked before the game
and he said 'If I don't need you I'm not going to play you.' It was
just my luck we started getting down."
Wallace scored 16 on 8-for-11 shooting before he was thrown out
with 9:17 left in the third quarter.
Pippen's steal and layup for a three-point play highlighted a
12-0 run that put Portland up 86-74 on Sabonis' two free throws
with 6:24 to play. Pippen added a 3-pointer and Smith two free
throws to make it 91-76 with 5:02 to go.
"We let them force us into shooting shots we didn't want to
take and making passes that we didn't want to make," Cliff
Robinson said. "From that point on, they were the aggressor, and
when you're the aggressor, you get the calls."
Portland was 29-for-36 at the foul line. Phoenix was 18-for-30.
Cliff Robinson scored 23 for the Suns, who have lost four of
five and eight of 11. Jason Kidd had 17 points and eight assists
but was 0-for-8 from the field in the second half after going
6-for-7 in the first. Rodney Rogers added 16 points and 10 rebounds
off the bench.
Wallace got two quick technicals from referee Ted Bernhardt for
complaining about an offensive foul call with Phoenix leading
52-49.
Wallace went after Bernhardt after the ejections and had to be
restrained by Pippen.
Dunleavy, who drew his first technical 21 seconds into the game,
got his second from referee Tony Brothers with 8:49 to play in the
third. Kidd made all three free throws on the third-quarter
technicals to put Phoenix up 55-49.
After Dunleavy left, the Blazers scored the next seven points to
take their first lead, 58-57, on Pippen's 3-pointer from the top of
the key with 6:22 left in the third quarter. Portland led 72-70
entering the final quarter.
The teams won't play again in the regular season. Portland won
the series 3-1.
Rogers scored six in an 8-2 spurt that put Phoenix ahead 41-26
with 6:09 left in the half. Kidd's left-handed drive through
traffic with 26.5 seconds to play gave the Suns a 52-43 lead at the
half.
"I thought that first half was one of our best of the year,"
Phoenix coach Scott Skiles said. "We just couldn't sustain it."
Game notes
The Blazers' other technicals were on Pippen, Brian Grant, Bonzi Wells and one for illegal defense. ... Portland's 14-point first quarter was their lowest of the season. ... Portland was
playing the opener of a five-game road trip. ... The Suns say they
could have Penny Hardaway, who has missed the last 19 games with a
foot injury, back in seven to 10 days. ... Phoenix's Rex Chapman sat out the game with a sore ankle.
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ALSO SEE
NBA Scoreboard
Portland Clubhouse
Phoenix Clubhouse
RECAPS
Philadelphia 102
Orlando 100
Toronto 115
Milwaukee 110
New York 0
Charlotte 0
Detroit 105
Washington 98
Indiana 111
LA Lakers 102
Atlanta 89
Chicago 83
Miami 92
Denver 87
Seattle 91
San Antonio 85
Cleveland 82
Vancouver 80
Portland 105
Phoenix 83
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