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Dante Exum dazzled the crowd of 10,000.
Then he frightened them.
In Monday night's 100-82 summer league win over the Boston Celtics, Exum did exactly what you'd hope your starting point guard might do against such competition, showcasing all the skills that made him a top-five pick a year ago. The 19-year-old (he won't turn 20 until July 13) grabbed five rebounds, dished five assists and scored 20 points in large part by getting to the free-throw line, something he seldom did as a rookie.
But with 1:50 left in the exhibition, Exum attacked the basket and injured his left ankle. He lay on the baseline facedown for a while before eventually being helped up and then off the court with the assistance of two trainers.
"We saw the coaches trying to call us over for a timeout and we just wanted to make sure he was OK," center Jack Cooley said. "But Dante's going to be fine. He'll be all right. It was a little scary, but he's a real tough kid."
Earlier, the Jazz lost forward Grant Jerrett, who dislocated his right shoulder. Exum, meanwhile, was diagnosed with an ankle sprain and will be re-evaluated Tuesday.
"It's hard to say now," Jazz assistant coach Alex Jensen said of the severity of the two injuries. "They have ice on them. It's one of those things where they'll reevaluate them both tomorrow and we'll have a better idea."
With the Jazz expected to tinker with rotations over the course of two summer league runs, Exum may not have been a lock to play in Tuesday's game against the San Antonio Spurs summer squad even if he was healthy. Now his status is certainly in question, though he has not been ruled out.
"He'll be all right," forward Rodney Hood said. "He sprained his ankle pretty bad, but he'll be all right. They'll see about tomorrow. He might get some treatment, but I think he'll be fine."
— Aaron Falk
Twitter: @tribjazz