Aussie point guard Patty Mills has proved to be the x-factor in the NBA Playoffs, pouring in a playoff career high 20 points.
The Spurs guard shot a scorching 7-for-10 from the field, draining five of his seven three-point shots as the Spurs came away with a 116-103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Mills led all players in Plus/Minus, with the Spurs outscoring the Grizzlies by 22 points in the 22 minutes Mills spent on the floor.
With the Spurs and Grizzlies tied at two wins apiece, Game 5 was pivotal as a San Antonio loss would have allowed the Grizzlies to potentially close out the series in Memphis in Game 6.
Mills is in the final year of a three-year contract with the San Antonio Spurs following a deal signed in 2014, and will be an unrestricted free-agent at seasons end.
The 28-year-old guard is widely recognised as one of the premier backup point guards in the league due to his elite ability to score off the bench and could command a salary in excess of $15 million a year on the open market this summer. Performances like today will only drive his value even higher.
