Rockets Lose Drexler--and Game to Suns : NBA playoffs: He is ejected in second quarter as Phoenix wins series opener, 130-108, behind big game by Green.

The Phoenix Suns, going for the kill after Houston’s Clyde Drexler was ejected in the second quarter, raced to a 130-108 victory over the Rockets Tuesday night in the opener of their Western Conference semifinal series.

A.C. Green led the Suns with 25 points, a career playoff high, and 15 rebounds; Charles Barkley had 26 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Johnson had 21 points and 13 assists.

The Suns outrebounded the defending NBA champions, 48-29.

Rocket Coach Rudy Tomjanovich had been wary of a big game by Green, and that’s precisely what happened.

“The guys got me the ball when I got in an open spot,” Green said. “(But) this wasn’t the Rockets’ team. They’re going to have Clyde and Hakeem (Olajuwon) coming back.”

Game 2 will be played here Thursday night.

Sam Cassell scored 31 points for Houston; Olajuwon had 18 points, but only four rebounds, while sitting out the fourth quarter.

The Suns bolted to 20-point leads over the dispirited Rockets in the second quarter and led, 75-57, at halftime. They were up, 106-81, after the third quarter.

Drexler’s ejection overshadowed a strong defensive game by centers Joe Kleine and Wayman Tisdale, each of whom scored 12 points and took Olajuwon, who was averaging 35 points in the playoffs, out of his normal game.

Drexler, who teamed with Olajuwon to give the Rockets a rare pair of 40-point scorers when he got 41 in Game 4 of Houston’s 3-2 first-round victory over the Utah Jazz, picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 10:12 left in the second quarter.

The Suns were leading, 40-30, when Drexler fouled Dan Majerle. Drexler protested, and referee Jake O’Donnell hit him with a technical.

O’Donnell walked away, but Drexler kept talking, and the referee signaled a second technical--an automatic ejection.

Drexler, who finished the first quarter as Houston’s leader in points (nine), rebounds (two) and assists (two), yelled and charged O’Donnell. He was restrained by Tomjanovich and Mario Elie, but it took several seconds before Drexler stopped trying to fight his way through.

Johnson made both free throws on the technicals, and Majerle made one of two free throws, increasing Phoenix’s lead to 43-30.

The three points were part of a 22-5 run by the Suns, who did something the Jazz weren’t able to do by leading after the first quarter, 32-30.