The Mavericks are on a roll lately, as they’ve won five out of their last six games, only losing to the Thunder last week. At this point, the Dallas team are sitting in the Western Conference’s seventh spot (49-20) and currently clinching a playoff spot with only 13 games to go.
One of the main reasons behind this recent success, is not only due to star duo Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, but also clutch performances from Dante Exum. Just last night, the Australian made a pair of three-pointers that propelled the Texan squad to a 113-107 win over San Antonio.
Experts are calling this the player’s resurrection, as he missed a total of 22 games across January and February with a plantar fascia sprain in his right foot, then follow by a right knee bursitis. He had a starting role before falling to injury as he averaged 15.3 points and 4.5 assists in December, and now he’s delivering from the bench.
Dante Exum shooting 50% from 3 this season is the most ridiculous stat I’ve seen.
This guy reinvented himself completely overseas. Great comeback story. He’s the main reason the Mavs survived the Spurs tonight. pic.twitter.com/wWzPMnfATU
— Jerico (@kyriemavs) March 20, 2024
At this point, the 28-year-old doesn’t need to start to impact the game, as they’ve been keeping the versatile guard on the floor down the stretch. Against the Spurs, 8 out of his 16 points in total came in the fourth quarter. “Exum down the stretch was huge, hit big threes,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said after the match.
Despite his Slovenian teammate posting another triple-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, he endured a rough shooting that afternoon, until Exum came to the rescue. “… Luka had a lot of great looks tonight, it just didn’t fall for him but being able to find his teammates and trust them down the stretch is what a leader does and he did that tonight,” Kidd said.
“Exum has missed some time this year… but he’s not afraid of taking big shots,” said ex-NBA guard Derek Harper. “A lot of people make a big deal out of starting. He doesn’t start anymore but who finishes the game? The staff obviously has a lot of confidence in Exum. He’s a special, special player.”
In commentary for Bally Sports Southwest, the former athlete explained why coaches have decided to trust the Aussie despite his unstable career. “The coaches certainly trust the guy that can make plays but more importantly make shots. That’s what he’s done here in the fourth quarter,” he explained.
“He’s a quiet type of a personality but when he’s on the floor he’s just comfortable and I think he gives his coach a sense of comfort when he’s out there. He’s kind of like a coach out on the floor.”
Dallas is 7-1 this season when Exum scores 15 or more points, and he’s been impacting off the bench
Dante’s 16 points on Wednesday marked the highest impact he’s made in points coming off the bench, as the club has posted a 7-1 mark this season when he’s been dropping 15+ points.
The 28-year-old has now improved to 50% efficiency when shooting from beyond the arc this campaign, which stands as his career-high, considering his previous top mark stood at 35.1% during his 2019/20 season with the Cavaliers.
“It’s tough playing on the road but we stick together as a team and a unit and that’s what we’re going to need going forward, so I’m proud of everyone tonight,” Exum told the press last night. “… It’s just basketball. I’m just a competitor and want to win. So no, not nervous at all [down the stretch].”
Despite recognizing Doncic’s greatness, the Australian knows that the Mavericks strength relies on teamwork. “It’s a team game. Luka is going to do what he does. When he gets doubled he’s going to pass it and facilitate and that’s what he did,” he assured.
