When it came time for the Dallas Mavericks to make a clutch play against the In-Season Tournament champion Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, the executor was not one who many might expect.
It wasn’t the All-Star Kyrie Irving making the clutch shot, who sat out in this game due to a heel contusion. It also wasn’t the All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, even taking his absurd 33-point, 17-assist performance into account.
The story of the night was actually the 2014 5th-overall selection for the Utah Jazz , Dante Exum, who was absolutely lights out in this matchup. With just under a minute to go in the game up by four, Doncic dished to a wide-open Exum in the corner to ice it for what would be his seventh three-pointer of the contest.
Exum had a fantastic night on the offensive end. He ended with a total of 26 points on 80% shooting from the field and 77.8% from three, also complimented by his four rebounds and three assists. His scoring output in this one was almost enough to jump his career-high of 28, a number he posted during his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2019-20 season.
Despite his standing in the NBA being a bit shaky across the past few years, his most recent role on the Mavericks has given his career a bit of rejuvenation. He’s started the past four games for Dallas, averaging a stellar 17.5 points, five rebounds, and just under six assists on extremely high efficiency (55.6/55.0/75.0). The Mavs are also an undefeated 4-0 in that stretch.
If Exum can maintain this type of production, there’s a good chance he can continue to establish himself as an effective rotational piece for Dallas. He may even be able to retain his starting spot next to Luka and Kyrie.
The Aussie guard began his career with the Jazz but was never quite able to set his footing in Salt Lake City. In five seasons with the team, he averaged 5.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, and 2.2 assists in 215 games. Now, it seems like the potential Utah drafted him for is finally starting to shine through.
While his most recent success may not be with the Jazz, seeing a former Jazzman like Exum finally figure things out and potentially finding a long-standing home in Dallas should be a pleasant sight for Utah fans. With Dallas currently holding a 15-8 record for 3rd in the West, maybe being a part of a deep playoff run isn’t out of the question for him either.
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