MEXICO CITY — San Antonio set a record. Patty Milly got the Spurs a win, too.
Mills made a jumper from the free throw line with 0.3 seconds left in the Spurs’ record-setting fourth straight overtime game, and they outlasted the Phoenix Suns 121-119 on Saturday.
The NBA record book shows 20 instances of teams playing three straight overtime games — but never four straight, like the Spurs have. They’re 3-1 in those games, their best stretch since opening the season 4-1.
“We’ve had four overtime games in a row now and we’ve won three of them and I think there’s something positive to be said for that,” Mills said. “Tonight it was the execution. We haven’t had the greatest of seasons but we’re learning as we go.”
DeMar DeRozan pulled the Spurs even with a drive and fling – after a foul by Mikal Bridges – down the right side of the lane, but missed the free throw. The ball went out of bounds on a scramble after the missed free throw, and San Antonio kept the ball after a replay review.
Phoenix, with star guard Devin Booker sitting out because of a sore forearm, overcame a late seven-point deficit to force overtime on Kelly Oubre Jr’s 3-pointer from the corner in the final seconds.
Mills led the Spurs with 26 points.
“If it doesn’t go in, then it doesn’t work,” Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich said about Mills’ winner. “This one happened to go in.”
RAPTORS 110, NETS 102: Pascal Siakam scored 30 points, Marc Gasol set season highs with 17 points and 15 rebounds and Toronto beat visiting Brooklyn to snap a three-game home losing streak.
Norman Powell fouled out with 25 points and Kyle Lowry had 17 to help the Raptors win their ninth straight home game against the Nets and beat Brooklyn for the 16th time in 17 meetings.
Serge Ibaka had 12 points and 12 rebounds as Toronto extended an NBA record by winning its 34th straight at home against a division foe. The Raptors are unbeaten at home against Atlantic Division opponents since a Nov. 10, 2015, loss to the New York Knicks.
NOTES
HORNETS: Charlotte lost a starter for Sunday and perhaps beyond, after the team announced Saturday that rookie forward P.J. Washington broke a finger.
Washington has a fracture on the fifth finger (pinkie) on his right hand. The Hornets announced Washington is out for Sunday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. There was no additional information from the team on Washington’s prognosis. Washington suffered the injury in the fourth quarter of Friday’s road victory over the Chicago Bulls.
Washington, the 12th pick in June’s draft out of Kentucky, has started all 28 games of his rookie season. The 6-foot-7 Washington has averaged 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds at power forward. In addition to being a solid inside scorer, Washington has demonstrated surprising perimeter accuracy, making 41% from 3-point range and 48% from the field.
After a relatively healthy first six weeks of the season, the Hornets have seen injuries pile up lately. Marvin Williams and Nic Batum, the two most experienced players in the second unit, both missed the last two games. Williams is out again Sunday with a sore right knee.
Batum is listed as questionable with a sore left hand; he suffered a broken middle finger on that hand in the season-opener against the Bulls.
HEAT: Miami may have been two missed calls away from a different fate in their 113-110 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at AmericanAirlines Arena.
Per the NBA’s last 2-minute report, the Lakers committed two fouls against Jimmy Butler that weren’t called on the Heat’s final possession of the game.
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