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The message from Derrick Favors to Dante Exum was simple before Utah's 121-95 loss to the Golden State Warriors: Calm down and enjoy the moment.

Too many times this season, Favors said, he had seen a frustrated Exum make multiple mistakes and fight unsuccessfully for playing time. On Monday night, the two spoke before the Jazz saw their season end at the hands of the Warriors. The talk was more big brother to little brother, than it was player to player.

"I just wanted to see him play well," Favors said. "He's got so much talent. I told him to enjoy every minute, I wanted to be a vet for him. I just wanted to see him go out there and be aggressive."

What Favors, the Jazz and Jazz fans saw was an Exum seldom seen this season at Vivint Smart Home Arena. The third-year guard from Australia scored a playoff career-high 15 points in 31 minutes. He grabbed three rebounds and handed out a pair of assists.

More importantly, he gave fans a dose of energy when the Jazz looked lethargic and the fans were quiet. There was Exum crossing Golden State guard Klay Thompson over and then driving into the lane for a two-handed dunk. There was Exum stealing the ball on the baseline, racing up the court and finding his way to the free-throw line.

And there was Exum hitting a corner 3-pointer at the end of the first half, pulling the Jazz — who had trailed by 24 points in the second quarter — within 60-52 at halftime.

"Dante played very well," Utah forward Gordon Hayward said. "He was good defensively, he was active defensively. He ran the floor hard, and he just played. When you do those things, the game usually takes care of itself. He wasn't thinking that much. He was attacking, and it worked for him."

Exum's night wasn't enough to keep the Jazz close in the second half. But it was a glimpse of what the Jazz front office thought he could be when they made him a lottery pick three years ago.

His knee injury two summers past is well-chronicled, and his comeback has been difficult. But if this season has sent one message, it's that Exum's superior athleticism has fully returned.

He consistently went by Golden State defenders off the dribble Monday night, and found his way into the lane when he put his mind to it. Exum didn't always finish at the basket, shooting 5 of 14 from the field. But his night was enough to propel him into the offseason with a bit of confidence.

"I think Dante went out there and played his behind off," Jazz guard Joe Ingles said. "Obviously, the situation was win or be done. And I think he left it all out there tonight."

tjones@sltrib.com

Twitter: @tribjazz