Behind Jared Dudley, Suns stand up to Wizards but can’t close

PHOENIX — Markieff Morris and Suns power forward incumbent Marquese Chriss dapped before tip-off.

That was not the firework show a still-bitter-about-Markieff fanbase at Talking Stick Resort Arena wanted on Tuesday.

They’d get fireworks soon.

Just more than a minute into the second quarter, the Suns trailed Morris’ Washington Wizards by 12. A hard screen by Washington’s Jason Smith on Phoenix’s Tyler Ulis in the backcourt sparked Jared Dudley to aggressively chest-bump Smith, causing a scuffle.

Minutes later, Phoenix trailed by 22 points. But the Suns had harnessed Dudley’s energy after fans chanted his name as he left for the locker room following an ejection, and Phoenix would come back to lead by 11 in the third quarter only to lose, 131-127.

“I’m proud of the fact they stood up for each other, and there’s no die with this young team,” Suns coach Earl Watson said. “They stand up for each other and play the right way.

“We miss anyone. But he did what he had to do and you can’t fault that. We’re just excited the fact that our guys always get back into the game.”

Dudley had taken it upon himself to act as the Suns’ enforcer a week after Watson wished aloud his team had one following a scrap with Vince Carter and the Memphis Grizzlies. It was out of character for the usually stoic Dudley, who before leaving barked at Wizards backup guard Brandon Jennings, who was also ejected.

“It doesn’t surprise me because I know how much he cares about us young guys,” Devin Booker said of Dudley, before admitting, “that was the first time I’ve seen him that aggressive.

“Once you see actions like that, talking about what he’s been saying, it means a lot.”

And it gave Phoenix life.

Eric Bledsoe drilled a pair of threes, and Leandro Barbosa’s behind-the-back pass to Chriss, who hit a corner three, cut the Washington lead to 56-48 with four minutes to play. Bledsoe finished the second quarter with 13 points in the period after a putrid start — he went 1-for-6 in the first quarter, took poor defensive risks leading to transition Wizards’ baskets and had three turnovers.

“We showed a lot of poise tonight,” Bledsoe said after finishing with a team-high 30 points. “That was my fault. I was turning the ball over early and it rubbed off on everybody else. I got to take care of the ball.”

The Suns trailed 68-61 at halftime — just after Chriss earned a technical yapping at Morris and the Washington bench — against the 37-24 Wizards, who ended the night one game behind the Boston Celtics in second place in the Eastern Conference.

The second-quarter run by Phoenix spilled over into the third when the Suns — with Derrick Jones Jr. in the lineup for the foul-plagued Chriss — started on a 9-0 run to take a 69-68 lead. That grew to 11 before Washington began leaning on point guard John Wall, who closed behind Beal’s 27 with 25 points himself.

Wall added 14 assists and had much to do with a 10-point separation with minutes left that the Suns couldn’t overcome.

“John Wall made a lot of tough layups, lot of and-ones,” Booker said. “Feel like we overhelped on him a lot and he was getting that dump-pass right to the big. He made special plays.”

By the end of the night, Watson said the free throw difference, 53 attempts to 33 in favor of the Wizards, doomed the Suns. A lot of it came in transition.

The box score, meanwhile, read like a creation of Frankenstein: Wizards spot-shooter Bojan Bogdanovic set a franchise record with 16 free throws, all makes, and backup center Ian Mahinmi added seven steals. In 25 minutes, he recorded a plus-minus of 38. Starting Wizards center Marcin Gortat and Morris had plus-minuses of -25 and -23, respectively, and Phoenix’s box score made as little sense.

Yet, for the Suns’ purposes, it was still another positive step forward despite it marking the end of a three-game winning streak.

“We know a lot of teams are trying to make good seeding for the playoffs. We’re still fighting,” Booker said.

FREE THROWS

— Chriss became the first rookie since DeMarcus Cousins in 2010-11 to record 10 or more technical fouls in their first season.

— Jones Jr. defended Beal, small forward Otto Porter and down the stretch covered Wall. “He’s becoming if not … I believe our best perimeter defender. Over the summer, need to add the corner three,” Watson said.

— Tyler Ulis scored seven points to go with five assists but had a -25 plus-minus.

— T.J. Warren’s 15 points and 10 boards marked his first double-double of the year and second in his career.

— Alan Williams’ 15 points and 10 rebounds off the bench made him the first reserve to record four straight double-doubles in team history since Larry Nance did so in 1988, his final four games with Phoenix.

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