Phoenix Suns point guard Goran Dragic has blamed a disappointing start for the 115-112 defeat to the Houston Rockets on Sunday night.

Despite his team fighting back to force a dramatic finish at the US Airways Center, Dragic believes that the energy the Suns used to recover from an early 18-point deficit cost the team in the closing stages.

"We cannot start games like that," Dragic, who scored a career-high 35 points, told reporters after the game. "We were down 18 points and it takes a lot of energy to come back.

"And after that your tank is empty in the fourth quarter and because of that we lost the game."

The Suns take on the Minnesota Timberwolves in their next game on Tuesday night.