Before Sunday night, Miles Plumlee had yet to put it all together in one cohesive performance. Countless times he had finished plays with powerful dunks and wiped opponents’ shots out of the air with his long arms. But while Plumlee dominated certain possessions, he had never taken complete control of a game.
That is, until Sunday against Wake Forest (12-4, 2-2 in the ACC), when the sophomore forward registered career highs with 19 points and 14 rebounds in leading the No. 7 Blue Devils over the Demon Deacons, 90-70, in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The elder Plumlee’s breakout performance could not have come at a better time. Facing an extremely athletic Wake Forest front line in a brutally physical game that featured 47 fouls, Duke (15-2, 3-1) needed inspired inside play to carry them.
“When [Miles] plays like that, it energizes everybody,” said Mason Plumlee, Miles’s younger brother and fellow forward. “Any time he’s hitting shots and dunking on people, he’s fun to play with.”
Miles Plumlee wasted little time getting on the scoreboard. The sophomore threw down an alley-oop from Scheyer 41 seconds into the game and finished the first half with 13 points and 11 boards. Mason Plumlee made outstanding play a family affair, chipping in a few baskets himself, including a reverse slam in traffic off an offensive rebound.
Wake Forest stayed with Duke blow-for-blow, however, hanging close thanks to great efforts by forward Al-Farouq Aminu. The heralded sophomore converted several acrobatic plays, including a thunderous dunk to give the Demon Deacons a 34-30 lead late in the first half.
“Those are statement plays,” Mason Plumlee said of all the above-the-rim action. “When you get that chance you have to take it.”
Duke made a statement of its own at the end of the first half, as a Jon Scheyer three capped a 16-4 run and gave the Blue Devils an eight-point advantage at the break. That shot was a lone bright spot for Duke’s perimeter, as Scheyer, Kyle Singler, and Nolan Smith combined to shoot just 5-for-28 from the floor in the first 20 minutes.
Cold shooting was not the only thing plaguing Duke’s offense. The Blue Devils found themselves in serious foul trouble, struggling to avoid whistles when crashing the glass and being called for fouls 13 times in all.
“Coach [Mike Krzyzewski] said at halftime, ‘You guys in foul trouble, don’t play like you are [playing],’” Mason Plumlee said. “I think that’s why we came out so strong in the second half.”
Despite Krzyzewksi’s advice, Duke let Wake Forest claw its way back into the game, tying the score at 55 on another Aminu dunk six minutes into the half.
On the next possession, however, Singler shook off his struggles and hit the most important shot of the game, a 3-pointer from the top of the key to give the Blue Devils a three-point lead. Scheyer continued the trend on the next possession by making a layup through contact and tacking on the free throw.
“I know the whole team has confidence in our shooters,” Scheyer said. “That’s why it’s easy for us to just keep shooting even if they’re not falling.”
Thankfully for Duke, it finally appears as though the Blue Devils have found a successful alternate option on off-nights from the outside. The Blue Devils notched 46 points in the paint, and the Plumlees combined for 30 points and 21 rebounds.
The brothers also dominated the game on defense, forcing a bevy of air balls when driving Demon Deacons were forced to adjust their shots.
“The defense is the key for us,” Miles Plumlee said. “Our defense can be some of the best in the country. When we lock down and really put our minds to it, it pays off.”
Duke showed how tough it can be on that end of the court in limiting Wake Forest to 15 points in the final 14 minutes of play. Singler also showed flashes of returning to his usual self, making several key shots down the stretch. The junior’s gutsy performance included hitting a free throw moments after injuring his wrist, a play that embodied the physical nature of the contest.
“I don’t think that’s the way games are always played,” Krzyzewski said. “Certain games are just played at a higher level…. Tonight was the most hard fought game all year.”
And thanks in large part to Miles Plumlee’s best performance as a Blue Devil, Duke was able to rise to the occasion.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.