Throwback: When Ingles, Exum crashed the Rockets

• Australian wing Joe Ingles was on fire in the 2017-18 NBA Playoffs for the Utah Jazz
• Boomers teammate Dante Exum was an unsung defensive force against James Harden
• Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals is one of Australia's greatest ever

The Australian Sniper

Utah Jazz wing Joe Ingles was one of the NBA most lethal three-point shooters in the 2017-18 NBA, knocking down 204 three pointers at a scorching 44% clip.

Ingles shattered the franchise’s record for threes in a single season previously set by Randy Foye in 2013 (178).

The 2018 playoffs saw this form translate into the post-season Ingles’ torching the Oklahoma City Thunder, including two 20-point games funded by 10 made threes in a three-day span.

But Ingles’ most memorable moment from the post-season was yet to come, surfacing against an offensive powerhouse in the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of the 2018 Conference Semi-Finals.

The Underdogs Regroup After a Rough Start

Heading into the second match of the series, the Jazz had their backs to the wall. The Rockets, ranked #2 offensively, were coming off a commanding win against the Jazz in Game 1. En route to a 14-point victory, MVP James Harden had a 20-point first half, in contrast to the Jazz who failed to score 40 points as a team, finding themselves down by 25.

But the Jazz could find solace from under a month prior. They had been in a similar situation in the first round. Utah found some offensive flow late in their Game 1 loss to Oklahoma City but had bounced back to win the series in six games – correcting their problems from earlier in the series. As the Rockets flexed their muscles in Game 1, the Jazz would need to learn from that experience to achieve the same feat.

The shooting disparity in Game 1 told the story. Houston’s three-point shooting trumped 50%, whilst Utah’s sat at 32%. This was a surprise with the Jazz shooting more strongly from three than Houston in the regular season, spearheaded by Ingles’ strong year from the perimeter. Given Houston had shot under 38% from three in 15 of their 17 regular season losses, the winning formula in this matchup was simple: shoot the three-ball well.

Breaking Records (and Houston)

It was as if Ingles had studied this concept tirelessly in the lead-up, because the man dubbed “Slo-mo Joe” proceeded to have a shooting performance that was simply jaw dropping, and one of the most efficient in NBA playoff history.

Ingles produced 27 points, fueled by seven made threes, as Utah excelled winning 116-108. His efficiency was staggering, with Basketball Reference recording Ingles’ performance as one of only 10 (across the regular season and the playoffs) at the time to tally 27+ points on as few shots, without an attempted free throw.

Though, Ingles downplayed his individual brilliance, rather attributing his success to team play, with rookie guard Donovan Mitchell having a large say as he assisted on four of his field goals.

“Obviously, I wanted to be aggressive, but like I’ve said a million times, we were within the flow of our offense… and we were lucky enough to get a couple to fall early,” he said.

Ingles’ threes were largely uncontested and early in the shot clock - uncharacteristic of a Jazz offense that under Quin Snyder, were known for being one of the more methodical teams in basketball.

While Houston Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni didn’t say this caught the Rockets by surprise, he was quick to praise Ingles’ shot making, which was imperative in Utah’s best moments.  

“He didn’t have camouflage. We see him right there, and he’s not the fastest guy in the world,” he said.

“He’s just a good basketball player, smart, picks his time, knows when to walk into a three, knows when you’re back a little bit, and then he got a little bit off of Donovan Mitchell too.”

Coach Snyder echoed that sentiment, emphasing how strong a role Ingles’ hot shooting night had to play against a Rockets team who threatened after a slow start – as he made two vital buckets as a part of an 8-0 run down the stretch.

“You know that [Houston] are gonna come back & it’s just a question of how far & how quickly. I thought that they cut that gap, & not only made it a game, but basically took control of the game, I think we could feel that,” he explained.

“So, at that point for our guys to keep their focus on what we were trying to do, to continue to run, to continue to shoot, and try to defend, that says a lot about the team, and how they function together, that they didn’t break at that point.”

Snyder recognised just how far Ingles had come from being a fifth-choice wing just a season prior. He pointed towards improved decision making and offensive reads as key reasons for the Australian’s sky-high confidence in this game, where Ingles fully capitalised.

“He knew tonight that we were gonna have to take and make some shots… I’m not surprised but it’s certainly a very timely performance given the situation,” Snyder added.

The Forgotten Hero

During Ingles’ shooting spectacle, another Australian performance snuck under the radar. Dante Exum had been marred with injury after his rookie season, playing only 80 regular-season games in three years heading into the 2017-18 playoffs.

The Jazz had high hopes for Exum yet had not quite seen the production that warranted their draft selection at fifth overall for him. However, Exum chose no better of a time to repay the faith.

The 5th overall pick in just his second trip to the playoffs had his second-best playoff performance scoring wise at the time but also had the third-best net rating of any player who saw court time. Exum’s defense, however, was game altering.  

As the “bedrock of his performance” according to The Pick and Roll, Exum guarded James Harden for 22 possessions and only conceded two points from these possessions, stifling Harden’s game after half-time in particular.

Snyder praised Exum, who disrupted Harden’s rhythm on his way to a 9-from-22 performance from the field, with only two threes made on 10 tries.

“I think we’ve said, just to try make [Harden] work, and he had 21 in the first half, so he’s gonna be able to be efficient and score,” he said.

“I think Dante has some size and some length, and we’ve had confidence in Dante taking difficult matchups. [Harden]’s not a player that any one guy can guard, so the fact that Dante can come in and give us some minutes & compete and battle is a big thing.”

The Jazz coach said that Exum’s application was a part of a stronger collective effort from Game 1, saying the team’s defensive performance was “stronger minded”.

“I think we were more disciplined, and that maybe allowed us to be stronger defensively,” he added.

“I think collectively as a group, you’re gonna have breakdowns against these guys. They’re so good, they put so much pressure on you, but I thought defensively, we had a really good collective effort in the end.”

A Lasting Legacy

The Rockets would go on to win the next three games and close out the series, with three-point shooting proving decisive. In each game, the Rockets would supersede the Jazz from three point territory. However, Game 2 holds a special place in Australian basketball folklore.

For Ingles, it marked how far he had come. Ingles had never scored more points in his career. No Australian had ever scored as many points in a playoff game. While in the short-term, it indicated what the Jazz needed to succeed, nearly seven years on, it remains one of the best Australian playoff performances in NBA history.  

Combined with Exum’s defensive masterclass against one of the league’s offensive beasts in his prime, Game 2 of the 2018 Western Conference Semi-Finals is a vivid reminder of Australian basketball excellence on the NBA’s biggest stage.