For 29 minutes, Arizona hung round.
The Wildcats matched Duke run for run. They appeared like they may play with the top-seeded Blue Devils.
Then, in a snap, Cooper Flagg and Co. ran away and hid, touchdown the type of sudden haymaker few groups, if any, within the nation can deal with.
It solely took 4:39 of recreation motion for Duke to make it clear the fourth-seeded Wildcats wouldn’t stick with them. By the tip of this 20-5 burst, the Blue Devils led by 15 and a spot within the Elite Eight was all however assured.
In fact, Flagg led the best way, scoring 5 factors and doling out 4 assists within the run, as Duke moved on with a 100-93 victory at Prudential Heart.
They are going to meet No. 2 Alabama in an interesting East Regional closing on Saturday.
“That was one of the best tournament performances I’ve ever coached or been a part of,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer mentioned. “Just how he was with you guys, that’s how he is. He just did what he was supposed to do, and he’ll move on and get ready for Alabama. I think that’s the beauty of it with him. He doesn’t get caught up in all that.”
With 46 seconds left within the first half, Arizona pulled even on a Caleb Love 3-pointer.
At that time, it felt like Duke had sufficient. No extra taking part in round.
Kon Knueppel, considered one of three projected Duke one-and-done lottery picks, hit a 3-pointer and Flagg beat the buzzer with considered one of his personal to ship the Blue Devils into the half with momentum.
“We talk about inflection points, and the end of the half is a really big inflection point,” Knueppel mentioned. “So it was a tie ballgame, and [we] hit two 3s that gave us a bunch of momentum coming into the second half.”
Out of the break, they put the hammer down.
Flagg went from scorer to playmaker.
He cut up a double-team to arrange Sion James for a wide-open 3-pointer.
Thrice, he drove into the tooth of the Arizona protection and threw profitable lobs to Khaman Maluach.
Flagg, the presumptive first total decide within the NBA Draft, was dominant, ending with 30 factors, seven assists, six rebounds and three blocks.
He turned simply the sixth freshman with a recreation of at the very least 20 factors, 5 rebounds and 5 assists within the Candy 16 or later since 1984.
However what has made Duke so powerful is there may be a lot extra to them than Flagg.
There was the 7-foot-2 Maluach proudly owning the paint, notching 13 factors, six rebounds and 4 blocks, and Knueppel including 20.
Sion James, a sharpshooting Tulane switch, chipped in 16.
The Blue Devils shot 60 p.c from the sphere as a workforce and hit 11 3-pointers towards Arizona, which entered the night time with a prime 30 protection efficiency-wise.
The Wildcats obtained inside six with 7:47 left on the power of an 8-0 run, and have been down simply 5 after a Carter Bryant 3-pointer with 1:56 left.
However they couldn’t get any nearer.
Love led Arizona with 35 factors.
“What I’ve wanted from him is not to defer,” Scheyer mentioned of Flagg. “I’ve just wanted him to fully be him, and I thought he was that. He was in his element tonight. He was him.”Flagg placed on a present within the first half, scoring 18 factors on 7-of-12 capturing together with 4 rebounds and two assists. He obtained inside for straightforward baskets, he scored within the midrange and in addition hit a pair of 3-pointers. That included a 25-foot buzzer-beater that gave Duke a six-point lead on the break.
It was an unforced error by Love, who shot early, giving Flagg simply sufficient time to beat the horn.
Love had a powerful opening 20 minutes in any other case, scoring 14 factors and sinking three 3-pointers.
Arizona began effectively, constructing an early four-point lead.
Then got here a 5:35 scoring drought, by which Duke ran off 11 consecutive factors. Love ended it with a deep and contested 3-pointer.
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The Wildcats have been lucky to be so shut at intermission, contemplating Duke shot a blistering 61.3 p.c from the sphere, made seven 3-pointers and dedicated solely three turnovers.
Arizona stayed shut by making 11-of-13 on the free-throw line and hitting seven 3s of its personal.
The second half began in ominous vogue for Love.
He missed the whole lot on a deep 3-pointer and Maluach produced a three-point play on the opposite finish, and the lead was 9.
It grew to 12 when Flagg cut up a double-team and James hit a wide-open 3 from the left nook.
