In Fast Game, Blue Devils Can't Keep Up

Duke can play fast—but not North Carolina fast. So much we learned Wednesday night.

In the first half of the Tar Heels' 101-87 win over Duke, the teams traded baskets, both squads streaking up and down the floor to the point where it seemed as if almost every player legitimately needed the media timeout when it came.

"It was definitely the fastest I've ever been in with Ty pushing the ball, and Greg and I were trying to push the ball," Duke point guard Nolan Smith said. "Both teams were just running. Both teams were getting tired pretty quickly by the end of the game."

"It was pretty high-paced," forward Gerald Henderson said. "We made some pretty special plays offensively—we played some really good basketball."

The Blue Devils may not have been able to keep up with the run-and-gun Tar Heels anyway, but the fact that the air conditioner inside Cameron Indoor Stadium had been turned off all day certainly didn't help, either.

But to head coach Mike Krzyzewski, the pace of the first half didn't seem to wear on his players, who told him late in the second half that they felt fine. The tempo simply helped North Carolina more than it hurt Duke, he said.

"We played really fast in the Xavier game," he said, alluding to Duke's 82-64 win Dec. 20. "I thought this was more like that game.... We don't mind playing fast, but they know how to play fast real well. The worst thing for us would be to try to slow it completely down, and put the kids in a position where they are hesitant. You can't win being hesitant."

The difference between the tempo against Xavier and North Carolina? The Musketeers couldn't keep up in the Meadowlands. On Wednesday, though, it was Duke that found itself on the slower end.