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By Jeff McDonald

OAKLAND, Calif. — Given a rare starting turn at point guard, Patrick Mills poured in 61 points in two nights, helping lift the Spurs to pair of victories and, improbably keep alive the franchise’s streak of 50-win seasons.

That was all well and good.

Come noon on Sunday, when the top-seeded Spurs open a first-round playoff series with Utah at the AT&T Center, the clock is sure to strike midnight on Mills’ Cinderella run.

“I’m going to venture a guess that Tony Parker will be our starting point guard come playoff time,” Spurs forward Matt Bonner said.

But what a show it was while it lasted.

Playing in place of Parker for the second night in a row, Mills produced quite an impression of the four-time All-Star on Thursday, setting career bests with 34 points and 12 assists in the Spurs’ 107-101 victory over Golden State at Oracle Arena.

“These chances don’t come up very often, when you send your three Big dogs back to San Antonio,” said Mills, who played his college ball at St. Mary’s (Calif.), 20 minutes away from Oracle Arena. “I was very pumped to have this opportunity.”

Another 50-win campaign behind them, this one the most improbable at all, the Spurs now turn their attention to the playoffs.

Which means Mills returns to the bench.

His out-of-nowhere scoring binge is over. But it was fun while it lasted.

“That’s alright,” Mills said. “If I’m on the bench, I’ve still got to roll.”

jmcdonald@express-news.net

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