Aussies in NBA: Patty fills up stat sheet against Timberwolves
Patty Mills continues to prove himself as the in-form Aussie in the NBA. Coming off the bench, he helped guide the Spurs to a 105-91 win against Minnesota (boxscore).
Mills showed his versatility by filling up the stat sheet. He finished with an impressive 15 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.
He once again provided the spark that both Gregg Popovich and San Antonio were looking for; his +/- rating of 29 was just another indicator of his effectiveness.
Minnesota gained the upper hand in the first quarter, outscoring their opposition by 3. The margin would remain the same going into the main break.
In the third term, Mills and the Spurs hit their stride. The Aussie managed to find his teammates multiple times in transition.
https://twitter.com/spurs/status/806326746047856640
His hustle and vision was truly on show in the open court.
https://twitter.com/spurs/status/806328985604886528
Mills also managed to hit the score board himself in the third quarter, nailing two important shots in the last two minutes of the term. His production meant that the Spurs would go into the final break with an 8 point lead.
From then on the Spurs never looked back, and closed the game out. In doing so they increased their road record to an incredible 13-0 to start the season. Which moves them to second all time.
https://twitter.com/ESPNStatsInfo/status/806196522740285440
Mills has been a big reason for this incredible streak. On the road he has a +/- of 9 compared to just 0.7 when at home. He also shoots the ball 13% better from beyond the arc when away from San Antonio (Mills' stats).
His efficiency doesn't stop there. On a list of players who average 24 minutes or less, Mills is 5th in scoring, and 3rd in assists.
The San Antonio Spurs are beginning to find their groove, and Patty Mills is playing an integral role.
Full highlights
https://youtu.be/XMoeqzzkpGk