How did Dante Exum perform in his season debut for the Mavericks?
After missing the first 48 games of the season due to wrist surgery, Dante Exum made his return to the court for the Dallas Mavericks in a game against the Detroit Pistons. Unfortunately, the Mavericks lost 117-102, marking their first defeat of a five-game road trip. The road ahead remains tough, with upcoming games against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Boston Celtics. Despite the loss, Exum’s return was a highlight.
Exum, still recovering from the injury, was limited to just 14 minutes of play. He recorded three points, two rebounds, and one assist, but also had two turnovers. In a drive to the basket, he took a hard fall on his wrist, which appeared to cause him some pain, though he stayed in the game after shooting the free throws. Since the injury was on his shooting hand, he avoided taking perimeter shots. However, he did manage a solid layup to start the fourth quarter.
His turnovers were costly. The Mavericks were down by eight entering the fourth, but Exum helped close the gap to two in the first two minutes (with a chance to make it one if he’d hit both free throws). Unfortunately, he turned the ball over on the next two possessions, which allowed the Pistons to regain control with a 10-3 run. Despite the loss, it was a good game for Exum to ease back into game shape.
Regarding his long recovery journey, Exum’s injury was initially expected to keep him sidelined for about three months, but the recovery took closer to four months. Given the team’s injury struggles, Exum found it difficult to get regular 5-on-5 practice, but he adapted to the situation. “I think our team situation and the amount of injuries we’ve had — we’ve had two-way guys playing a lot of minutes, so it was hard to find 5-on-5. But we made it work,” Exum said after the game.
