Suns’ Marquese Chriss feuds with Bulls’ Bobby Portis after wild block

Phoenix Suns rookie Marquese Chriss has had his fair share of plays putting his elite athleticism on display this season, but he’s also picked up some technical fouls along the way.

Chriss did both in one sequence Friday night, as he flew through the air to swat Chicago Bulls forward Bobby Portis’ dunk attempt, but picked up another technical foul as well after a brief exchange with Portis.

During the first quarter, Chriss blocked a dunk attempt by Portis into the backboard. The two collided and fell out of bounds. As Chriss got up, his legs tangled with Portis and the two engaged words before being separated.

Referees evaluated the play for a flagrant foul by Chriss before assessing double technicals to both he and Portis. Chriss, 19, is up to nine techs on the season, tying him with teammate Devin Booker for sixth in the NBA. A one-game suspension is assessed automatically for any player who reaches 16 in a season.

Chriss has gotten into spats with other power forwards in the past.

On Dec. 13, he and Knicks forward Kristaps Porzingis got into a physical altercation after Porzingis knocked over Eric Bledsoe. In the final minutes of a game against the Grizzlies earlier in February, Chriss and Tyler Ullis were ejected after a scuffle broke out between the two squads,

The Suns are no strangers to disputes with officials, They lead the league in technical fouls this season. They have 62 techs, a double-digit lead over the Golden State Warriors’ 50 in second place.