Bledsoe's 40 lead Suns over Raptors
TORONTO -- Eric Bledsoe scored 40 points and added 13 assists and the Phoenix Suns defeated the Toronto Raptors 115-103 on Sunday night.
It was the second win in a row for the Suns, who won both games of the season series with Toronto.
The Raptors have lost three straight games for the first time this season.
The Raptors took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter. The Suns took a two-point lead with 6:04 to play on running a layup by P.J. Tucker, who also scored the next three points to give Phoenix a five-point lead.
Tyson Chandler's dunk with 2:04 to play put the Suns ahead by nine points.
Toronto's Kyle Lowry was ejected for a flagrant foul with 1:30 to play.
Devin Booker added 20 points for the Suns (15-29). Chandler had 16 points and nine rebounds for Phoenix, Brandon Knight chipped in with 12 and Tucker added 11. .
DeMar DeRozan had 22 points for Toronto (28-16). Jonas Valanciunas had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, for the Raptors and Lowry added 15, DeMarre Carroll 14 and Lucas Nogueira 13.
The Raptors, who had an early nine-point lead, led 31-28 after the first quarter led by 11 points from Nogueira, who got the start as a forward. Bledsoe had 11 points for Phoenix.
Toronto led 60-57 at half time. DeRozan led Toronto with 16 points. Valanciunas had 10 points and 10 rebounds in the first half.
Bledsoe led Phoenix with 18 first-half points.
The Suns moved to within two points with 6:13 to play in the third on Chandler's dunk following a Raptors turnover.
Lowry answered with a 3-pointer to put the lead at five.
Jared Sullinger's 3-pointer had the Raptors up by seven but Bledsoe immediately replied with a 3-pointer for the Suns.
A pair of free throws by Brandon Knight with 31.3 seconds to play in the third cut the Toronto lead to one point.
Sullinger completed the scoring in the quarter with a layup and the Raptors led 85-82.
The Raptors scored the first five points of the fourth quarter, including a 3-pointer by Terrence Ross, to take an eight-point lead.
Booker's 3-pointer with 9:42 cut Toronto's lead to two points and gave him 20 points for a career-best ninth straight game.
Chandler banked in a driving hook shot with 7:29 to play to tie the game at 95.
Carroll's 16-foot jump shot with 6:37 left gave Toronto a two-point lead. Two free throws by Bledsoe tied the game again.
Tucker's layup put the Suns into a 99-97 lead.
Tucker made one of two free throws with 5:27 to play and Phoenix led by three.
A missed Toronto shot led led to a hook shot for Tucker and a 102-97 Phoenix lead.
Bledsoe's layup with 3:58 to play gave Phoenix and a six-point lead. And his jumper with 3:26 to go made it a 107-100 lead.
NOTES: Toronto reserve C Lucas Nogueira (concussion protocol) was cleared to return for Sunday's game after missing the two previous games. He was injured at Brooklyn on Jan. 17. ... Raptors F Patrick Patterson (strained left knee) did not play Sunday and coach Dwane Casey said that he will probably need another day before a possible return to the lineup. He has missed 10 of the past 12 games since being injured on Dec. 29 at Phoenix. ... The Suns won the other meeting between the teams this season, 99-91 at Phoenix on Dec. 29. ... The Raptors play their next game at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday against the San Antonio Spurs. ... The Suns will play the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.