The Spurs racked up a number of milestones in their win against Portland
In the midst of a 125-104 thrashing of the Portland Trail Blazers, the San Antonio Spurs hit a number of milestones, both for individual players and as a team.
We all know Gregg Popovich is the all-time winningest coach in NBA history (regular and postseason combined) and that he is third in regular season wins behind Don Nelson and Lenny Wilkins, but on Martin Luther King Jr. Day Pop passed Pat Riley for eighth all-time in the category of coached games.
Patty Mills hit his 930th 3-pointer as a member of the San Antonio Spurs, elevating him to the NBA all-time leader for threes off the bench for one team.
Most three-pointers made in NBA history off the bench for one team:
1. PATTY MILLS (Spurs) – 930
2. Manu Ginobili (Spurs) – 929
3. Dell Curry (Hornets) – 800
4. JR Smith (Nuggets) – 652
5. Jason Terry (Mavericks) – 611— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) January 18, 2021
Coincidentally, it was the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili who had been the leader until Monday.
Patty Mills is now the NBA’s all-time leader in three-pointers made off the bench for one team.
Mills passes former teammate Manu Ginobili with his 930th three.
— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) January 18, 2021
Speaking of shooting from beyond the arc, Rudy Gay hit his 1,000th career three-point shot during a lights out fourth quarter performance.
Rudy Gay just hit his 1,000th career three-pointer.
Since Gay was drafted in 2006, he and LeBron James are the only players with 1,000 threes, 16,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 1,000 steals.
— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) January 18, 2021
During that round of threes, Rudy also managed to pass Vinny Del Negro on the Spurs franchise three-point shooting list.
The elder statesmen (Mills, Gay, LaMarcus Aldridge, and DeMar DeRozan) pulled a feat that had gone uncontested in over a decade:
First time the Spurs had four players score 20+ points in a game since Feb. 3, 2010.
George Hill (23)
Tim Duncan (22)
DeJuan Blair (20)
Manu Ginobili (20)— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) January 18, 2021
Aldridge scored 22, Mills and Gay had 21 apiece, and DeRozan tied it up with 20 after knocking down a couple of free throws. If you take into account their age — all over 30 — you have to go even further back:
The last time an NBA team had four players over age 30 score at least 20 in the same game: Houston Rockets at Clippers, 2/16/98.
Those four: Hakeem, Barkley, Drexler and the great Kevin Willis.
— Jeff McDonald (@JMcDonald_SAEN) January 18, 2021
And finally, you have to go even further to 1996 back to find the last time the Spurs had multiple players with 10+ assists, as DeRozan and Dejounte Murray contributed 11 apieace in Portland:
Today is the first time the Spurs have had multiple players with 10+ assists in a game since 1996.
Jan. 18, 2021:
DeMar DeRozan – 11
Dejounte Murray – 11Nov. 13, 1996:
Avery Johnson – 10
Sean Elliott – 11— Jordan Howenstine (@AirlessJordan) January 18, 2021
But don’t leave the Portland Trail Blazers out of a monumental game. Damian Lillard surpassed Kobe Bryant for seventeenth all time on the three-point scoring list. He’ll be passing Chauncey Billups very soon as well.
Keep in mind these are just the veterans. Wait until the youngsters get in on this record getting.
