Aussies in NBA: Dante Exum leads Jazz to third Summer League win

The Utah Jazz clinched their third and final victory in the Utah Summer League, going 3-0 overall with today's 68-65 win over the Boston Celtics. The Celtics was ahead for much of the game, their highest lead being 13 points, but Dante Exum led a Utah comeback in the fourth quarter, and held on for the win.

Exum led the team with 16 points (6/14 FG, 0/2 3P, 4/6 FT), 2 rebounds 4 assists, 1 block and 1 steal, in 25 minutes of play.

He was again, playing with confidence. Not only was he finishing layups and floaters over the Boston defence, he also managed to find teammates for shot opportunities. Exum also took the last play of the game, calling for isolation and closing the game out with a drive. https://twitter.com/utahjazz/status/883157210234200065

When asked about whether he had accomplished the goals he had set for himself prior to Summer League, Exum answered in the affirmative.

"100%. I just wanted to come out here, be with my teammates and grind. That last game was a grind, we got through it and I'm glad we got the win," Exum said post-game (video).

"It's a great opportunity to get out here and work on some of the stuff that I'd been working on in the summer. So I think I'm going to go home now, have a bit of a break, then get back out here and get ready to work again."

The Baron Davis connection

After the game, Baron Davis was seen checking in with Exum, likely running the game through.

https://twitter.com/davidjsmith1232/status/883159458980913152

Baron Davis spoke in-game about the work he did with Exum, and how Exum's applied it to the Summer League games so far.

"Basically, it's just working on getting the rhythm, getting the flow. Learning how to control the ball, how the ball works with you when you're out there on the floor. Everything's a rhythm shot.

"For [Exum], just really looking at his speed, and where his best assets and attributes are, and then working around that, and then adding things to it. It's a confidence thing, but it's also getting in and doing the work, and then him being receptive to a lot of the stuff. A lot of the moves that we tried, he's using it out here and it's working."

https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/883141644064653312

Davis also touched on areas that Exum would need to work on in the coming days.

"I would say, with his speed he would need to work on being able to stop and have balance, and then also, just more so body control. Being able to have a little wriggle. Not so much moving in a straight line, but being able to wriggle and zigzag, especially with his speed then it becomes extremely deadly."

Dante Exum highlights v Boston Celtics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgNL7pSYAT8