Aussies in NBA: Patty Mills finishes preseason strongly

Patty Mills finished the preseason with a good performance, as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Houston Rockets 111 – 86 (boxscore).

After missing the previous match with an ankle injury, Mills recorded a stat line of 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting (2-of-4 from 3-point territory) to go along with 2 assists and 1 rebound in a brisk 14 minutes of action.

He showed no signs of the injury when he gathered the rebound and turned on the afterburners to streak past all players for the easy layup.

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Later, he was involved in this beautiful play which encapsulates the Spurs offense at its best, with willing passing and an intuitiveness born from continuity.

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Over the years Mills has formed good chemistry with Manu Ginobili sharing the backcourt in the Spurs second unit. Considering Mills is natural shooting guard in a point guard's body and Ginobili the opposite, they complement each other perfectly on the court.

Here they showed the understanding they share as Ginobili calls Mills into space with a simple gesture while setting the sneaky back-screen on his defender, freeing Mills for the triple.

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As Mills enters his 5th season with the Spurs, his corporate knowledge of the system and the chemistry he has developed with his teammates will be a valuable asset. Especially after an unusually busy off-season saw more roster changes than the Spurs have experienced in some time.

Mills finished the preseason with averages of 8.2 points, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, while shooting 46% from the field and 27% from 3, in just under 18 minutes.