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LAHAINA, Hawaii – No later than Wednesday morning, back on the mainland before most of the five time zones west of New York even got up, there were smart TV viewers discussing dominance of Duke and the question of whether the best of Mike Krzyzewski the Blue Devils in the standings could beat an NBA team. Then Wednesday afternoon, Duke came out and was beaten by a WCC team. So this invitation to Maui has not ended as planned.
Final score: No. 3 Gonzaga 89, No. 1 Duke 87.
And, please, let me say it before saying it: Yes, I know, Gonzaga is not a normal "COE team". (I only wrote it that way above for the cheap word game.I apologize.) But, likewise, Duke is not an NBA team – even a bad one. And maybe we can all agree that the Blue Devils suffered their first loss thanks to a quick link that was considered the most entertaining match of the basketball season so far.
"It was just a fantastic match," said Gonzaga coach Mark Few after inflicting Duke's first loss in an invitation to the Maui Invitational. (The Blue Devils are now 17-1 years old in this event.) But the truth is that for a moment there was no evidence that the large crowd at the Lahaina Civic Center – a passing crowd, who included 27 scouts from 32 different franchises from the NBA – would be treated to something other than an eruption.
Gonzaga jumped Duke as Duke normally jumps as a team. The Zags shot 64.5% of the field in the first 20 minutes and took a 16-point lead early in the second half, while Duke star Zion Williamson, believe it or not, was desperately short of dunks and others. . The duke pulled from the back 79-66 with 7:20 remaining. The game was not finished, obviously. But it seemed decided.
So what …
"I have the impression that we just played as we know we can play," said Treff, a freshman from Duke, who has contributed to such a fierce comeback that in the United States United, 90 minutes after the last bell, the words duke, Gonzaga, zags, RJ Barrett and If we were all still on Twitter.
There was a dunk RJ.
There was a dunk Zion.
The score went from 79-66 to 87-87 in less than six minutes thanks to a 21-8 inning that culminated with a change of position at Williamson and recalled that, yes, Duke has three top-five picks among his five best choices. listing. Play on. But in the following possession, Rui Hachimura, a projected lottery pick himself, scored the last of his 20 points to give the Zags a 89-87 advantage that was maintained when Duke missed seven shots consecutive in the last 54 seconds.
Hachimura blocked Barrett on the rim with 32 seconds to go.
He then spoke with enthusiasm.
"[Barrett] I turned on and then tried to play face to face against me, "said Hachimura in a way that suggested he offend Barrett by intentionally creating that specific match." And then, I said to myself, "OK, let's do it." … We are the best team in the country. And [I was] like: "You know, I'm also the best player." So I have to keep it. "
"Amen, brother!" Few said, big smile on his face. "Now you receive the message."
Few were then asked about the meaning of hearing Hachimura with such confidence.
"That means everything," answered little. "We worked on that, I worked on him to really believe that [he’s the best]. … he wanted the ball [against Duke]and when we had the ball, most of the time he was fighting against top athletes and damn good defenders around the edge. It is therefore a very good sign for us. "
Another good sign: Gonzaga just beat the first of the standings, while Killian Tillie, the best scorer of the Zags since last season, is absent from the game due to an operation to the ankle until the end of December. So, this is not even the final version, nor the best, of Gonzaga.
Good luck, WCC.
As for the Blue Devils, they will be fine. No, they will not beat the Cleveland Cavaliers. No, they are not going undefeated. But they remain the most talented college basketball team on the planet – not to mention the one that beat two top-10 teams (Kentucky and Auburn) before Thanksgiving and is still, even after that defeat, ranked # 1 at KenPom.
Doubt them at your own risk.
But maybe cool it with hyperbole?
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