How’s this! 8 years ago today, dead-set Aussie ledge Patty Mills played in his FIRST NBA playoff game… in only his 11th EVER actual NBA appearance! That’s a hair-raising rocket ride if ever there was one, and one that befits an Aussie legend of about the stature of Ian Thorpe, Alicia Molik and Mary ‘Tubby’ Taylor combined.
Anyway, suiting up and throwing three-ball-glasses for the 2010 Portland Trail Blazers as they went 5 games in the first round against the last-gasp Steve Nash–Amar’e Stoudemire (the mongrel who ruined Andy Bogut’s arm only a few months prior) Phoenix Suns, a rookie Patty Thrills played a 7 minutes and 25 second stint that was more thrilling than the opening chase of ‘Mad Max’ and the first time I went on the ‘Lethal Weapon’ up at Movie World on the Goldie back in ’97!
With the weight of a city on his shoulders and the Blazers down about 30, The Torres Strait Terror came in and lit up the Suns brighter than, well, the sun, for a 6 points that would later be described as ‘transcendent’, ‘jaw-dropping’ and ‘better than that time I saw Daryl Braithwaite in Elwood’.
Patty Cakes went 2-of-4 from the field, and 1-for-1 from the charity stripe. Sure he also committed a turnover, but you get that on big jobs.
Thing is, Patty also nailed what was then only the 3rd three-pointer of his career! And to show you just how immense Patty’s NBA career has been since then, Bala has hit another 850 triples (across the regular season & playoffs), a number that put him at equal 178th ALL TIME — tied with Champaignin’ & Campaignin’ Champ Jalen Rose and Tough Juice Caron Butler — and 65th of all currently active players!
Of course, only four years later Patty Cakes would lead the San Antonio Spurs to the Larry O’Brien Trophy and will forever be known as a dead-set ledge… who’s also an NBA champ! And it was this game where the legend of Bala Pat — aka Patty Cakes, aka Patty Thrills, aka the Torres Strait Terror, aka Playoff Patty, aka Patty Patty With the Good Hair — started!
#ONYA Patty Thrills!!