In the biggest moment of a must-win game for the Dallas Mavericks, it wasn’t Luka Doncic or Kyrie Irving who took the go-ahead shot.
With 3:15 left in the game and the Mavs down by one, Doncic was doubled with the shot clock winding down. With the double-team bearing down on Doncic, he found Dante Exum wide-open at the top of the key, and he made the 3-pointer that put Dallas up for good in a 114-108 win over the Miami Heat on Thursday at the American Airlines Center.
For Exum, being in the closing lineup and making the go-ahead 3-pointer was a full-circle moment in what has been an up-and-down season for the veteran guard.
Dante Exum
Mar 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Dante Exum (0) passes the ball as Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) and guard Jaime Jaquez Jr. (11) and center Thomas Bryant (31) look on during the second half at the American Airlines Center.
Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
“I think it’s always about being ready,” Exum said. “I haven’t closed a game in a long time, but I’m always ready – that’s the biggest thing. I know they are gonna double both of them [Kyrie Irving and Luka Dončić], so it’s better for me to come back to the ball and when I get the free throws just be confident on them.”
Exum scored 13 points and had five assists plus four rebounds in the win. Of his 13 points, seven came in the final three-plus minutes of the game. With him in the closing lineup, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd sang the praises of Exum and how he’s able to take the pressure off Doncic and Irving in crunch time.
“His importance — when you look at his calmness, he doesn’t panic,” Mavs head coach Jason Kidd said. “I thought the pace in the second when he came in to be able to help Luka [Dončić] not have to bring the ball up. He also found Luka, got Luka easy shots, and also gives his teammates easy shots. His pace is something that we’ve missed here, and you can see that today.”
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Doncic had another 30-point triple-double, scoring 35 points with 11 assists and 11 rebounds. He also spoke highly of Exum’s performance, noting his ability to come back after missing 13 games with a right knee injury.
“He was great. [It was an] amazing performance, especially down the stretch,” Doncic said. “He was out for a lot of games. It’s tough to come back, but he was amazing. That was special.”
With Dallas in a one-point game in the middle of a three-game losing streak, it was a make-or-break moment for a team trying to stop the bleeding. Exum’s ability to step up off the bench and make clutch shots helped the Mavs right the ship, and if he can continue to perform as he did on Thursday off the bench, it’ll take immense pressure off Doncic and Irving and could be the catalyst the team needs to stay afloat in the West.
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