Blazers call up Mills for second time

The Portland Trail Blazers recalled rookie guard Patty Mills on Saturday from the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, the Idaho Stampede.

Mills will join the Blazers for tonight’s road game against Detroit, the Blazers said.

Mills was previously called up by Portland on Jan. 3 to fill in for Steve Blake, who was hospitalized with pneumonia at the time.

Mills played five scoreless minutes in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Jan. 4. He spent the remainder of his time with the Blazers on the bench, before being sent back to Idaho on Jan. 13, following Blake’s return.

The 6-foot, 185-pound rookie guard out of St. Mary’s is now being called up to help fill in for Brandon Roy (strained hamstring) and Jerryd Bayless (sprained ankle).

Mills averaged 25.6 points, 5.4 assists and 1.6 steals in five games (two starts) for the Stampede. He shot 50 percent behind the 3-point line, 85.2 percent from the free throw line, and 43.8 percent overall from the field.

Mills missed all of training camp and the first two months of the season while recovering from foot surgery.