Dante Exum Rewards Dallas Mavs' Trust with Late-Game Heroics vs. Houston Rockets

Mavs guard Dante Exum rewarded his team's trust by making a pivotal, game-tying 3-pointer at the buzzer against the Rockets.

Apr 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with guard Dante / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — Overcoming a 22-point deficit in regulation, the Dallas Mavericks used a game-tying buzzer-beater from Dante Exum on the wing to force overtime and ultimately defeat the Houston Rockets with a final score of 147-136.

“The beauty of that locker room, no one caved,” Mavs coach Jason Kidd said. “No one let go of the rope. No one quit. We just kept working. The hard work and trust paid off, and it just continues to get stronger.”

Apr 7, 2024; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrates with guard Dante / Andrew Dieb-USA TODAY Sports

It took a collective effort to create the situation, including Kyrie Irving scoring 19 of his 48 points in the fourth quarter. On the final regulation play, Luka Doncic, who recorded 37 points and 12 assists, drew two defenders and trusted Exum to make the shot after drawing the final shot.

“Kai got going. So did Luka,” Kidd said. “But Kai having almost 50 points, we’re going to rely on those two. And that’s what we should do. Kai understands when it’s time to go. And when to play off of Luka. But also the trust. They’re going to get double-teamed and for them to trust that the next person is going to make the right play.”

Exum, who finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and two assists against the Rockets, had hit a pivotal late-game 3-pointer on the road against the Sacramento Kings just nine days prior and stayed ready to deliver again against the Rockets. Exum pushed the pace in transition and quickly handed it off to Doncic — avoiding an offensive foul — then the Slovenian superstar drew the attention of two defenders, freeing up Exum to catch and shoot from the wing. He thought about passing it back to Doncic but knew he had his team's trust to shoot it.

“I think we had an opportunity, obviously, and I was talking to coach in the timeout and was like, ‘What’s the play, what are we doing?’ He was like, ‘Just get it and go.’ P.J. got the rebound, and for a split second I was like, ‘Do I let PJ get it?’ And I was like, ‘No – just go get it.’ So I went and grabbed it, and obviously get it to Luka, but they tried to double,'" Exum said. "It was about not getting the offensive foul first, and then setting my feet. Luka is obviously great about knowing that two guys are obviously going to double him, and trusting his teammates.”

Whether the shot goes in or not, Exum feels he has the trust of his superstar teammates, Doncic and Irving, to take the big shots. This trust has helped give him the confidence to deliver in pivotal moments.

“It’s big. I think it goes back to when it happened a lot throughout the season where I missed one shot, and they’ll come back and be like, yeah, ‘Shoot the next one. Shoot the next one,'" Exum said. "I think it’s in those big moments, and you need to knock one down; it kind of reminds you of the times that they’ve had your back.”

Throughout the season, Exum has joked about his improved shooting bringing him to a 50.0 percent clip, meaning if he misses the first shot, he's bound to make the next one. Having that confidence has enabled him to be a real threat from the perimeter in addition to being a threat to attack the paint, make plays for others, and be an all-around impact defender.

“Yeah, obviously, I joke about that, but I truly believe that. It’s a mindset I’m always going to have when I’m shooting," Exum said. "If I live up to it, it’s obviously perfect. It’s a really good percentage, but it’s always a mindset I’m going to have.”

The Mavs have continued to succeed when Exum has been on the floor, averaging 8.1 points, 2.9 assists, and 2.7 assists while shooting 54.1% from the floor and 50.0% from deep. While he was emerging as a starting wing midseason before injuries occurred, he's found a major rhythm in his role lately.

Exum has emerged as one of the instrumental members of Dallas' closing lineup, providing a third ball-handler presence to help get his superstar teammates involved off the ball to run different things like featuring one of them off the elbow in a Horns set, using the two-man game for hunting mismatches, or use screening actions, in general, to put pressure on the defense to create advantages.

Dallas has gone 34-18 when Exum played while producing a team-best 9.3 net rating in the 1,038 minutes he's played this season. The Mavs are 14-3, specifically in clutch games with Exum. He's frequently helped tie the unit together and remains a critical X-factor for the team as the playoffs near.