In case you missed my numerous noises on twitter, or the article I wrote prior to the game, or the game itself, here’s some positive Patty Mills news for you.
With Andre Miller out of the game due to suspension, Mills got significant minutes against the Phoenix Suns and he certainly made the most of them. Mills had six assists in his first 11 minutes of court time and finished the game with nine points, seven assists, three rebounds and two turnovers in 29 minutes of action.
Coach Nate McMillan trusted Mills with serious minutes during key stretches of the game and the young Aussie sparkplug did not disappoint. In fact the only area that was lacking was his three-point shooting (0/4), which is normally a huge strength for him. He shot 4/5 from two-point range, including a nice and-one that got the crowd out of their seats.
In fact, one of the highlights of the game was provided by Mills when he threw a perfectly placed no-look pass to Rudy Fernandez, who completed a smooth reverse lay-up in traffic.
Miller will be back in the Blazers’ next game, but surely Mills’ performance will earn him added trust from McMillan when it comes to backup minutes off the bench.
