CORAL GABLES, Fla. — In Miami, a city well known for a certain basketball “Big Three,” the Blue Devils came into Sunday night’s matchup wondering who their third option might be.
With another career-defining performance from sophomore Seth Curry, however, Duke may have left South Beach with a definitive answer.
Curry’s hot shooting buoyed the Blue Devils in the first half, and Nolan Smith’s strong play in the second period derailed the Hurricanes, as No. 5 Duke (23-2, 10-1 in the ACC) pulled out an 81-71 victory in Coral Gables, Fla.
“It’s big to not have a letdown after a big game at home against [North Carolina],” Curry said. “Just to come in on the road and get a big time win in this environment… it’s big for us.”
After struggling to control the opening minutes of their last game against the Tar Heels, head coach Mike Krzyzewski went back to his game plans from contests against Maryland and N.C. State and looked to control the tempo offensively by establishing his post players. On Duke’s first offensive possession, crafty interior passing led to an open Ryan Kelly shot from close range.
Both Mason and Miles Plumlee saw plenty of touches in the opening 10 minutes, and the pair combined to shoot 4-for-7 in the first half. Kelly added eight first-half points of his own.
“It’s always the focus to try to get [the forwards] confident. At times they can lose confidence and not be real aggressive,” Curry said. “So earlier in the game we tried to get them some touches.”
Miami’s sharpshooters kept the Hurricanes (15-10, 4-7) in the game, however, as Duke had trouble in the first half dealing with Miami head coach Frank Haith’s four-guard lineup. With four shooters surrounding Reggie Johnson, one of the best post players in the conference, the Blue Devils’ defense was forced to guard from corner to corner. Led by the hot shooting of junior Malcolm Grant, who scored 12 points in the first half, the Hurricanes shot 50 percent from behind the arc and made five 3-pointers.
The Blue Devils, already down one star player in Kyrie Irving, faced another potentially season-changing injury midway through the first, when Johnson inadvertently poked Smith in the eye while battling for a rebound. Smith exited to the locker room for treatment, leading his teammates to believe he might not return in the game.
“He wasn’t on the bench,” Krzyzewski said. “That only happens when it’s something serious…. All of a sudden I look [at the bench] and say, ‘Where is he?’”
In Smith’s stead, Curry took over the game offensively, scoring 13 points in the half—seven of which came after Smith left the floor in pain. Combined with the efforts of Singler, who shook off a rusty shooting performance against North Carolina to post a 14-point effort in Coral Gables, Curry’s production kept the game tight when it looked like Grant and the rest of the Miami shooters might break the game open.
“Anytime we’re on the road, teams are going to make runs, they’re going to feel confident and make shots just like that, so you just have to stay together as a team and continue to play,” Curry said.
After “gathering himself” at halftime, according to Krzyzewski, Smith came out for the second half and proved why he’s one of the most dangerous players in the ACC.
After 3-pointers from Garrius Adams and Adrian Thomas cut the Blue Devils’ lead to one with 14:04 remaining, Smith scored five straight, including a lengthy 3-pointer in transition. His outburst gave Duke some much needed breathing room.
Strong performances by both Plumlees in limiting Johnson in the post allowed the Blue Devils’ perimeter defenders to focus on disrupting the Hurricanes’ shooters in the second half, and Miami struggled to convert from downtown. After a 5-for-10 performance in the first half, the Hurricanes shot just 3-for-12 in the second.
“I think we upped the intensity some,” Kelly said. “We did some switching when they went small, but the main thing was we buckled down and said ‘We’re not going to let them score.’”
That defensive intensity, combined with Smith’s indomitable will to score in the second half, made for the play of the game with just under 12 minutes left. As Johnson appeared to be headed for a thunderous dunk, Miles Plumlee rotated across the lane and his stonewall block of Johnson sent Smith in transition. Smith ran the length of the court and finished through multiple defenders with an acrobatic layup that extended Duke’s lead to ten.
“Nolan had that streak in transition…. That’s what gave us separation,” Krzyzewski said. “He just made plays on his own in transition and gave us that seven, nine, ten-point lead.”
The Blue Devils made their free throws down the stretch, and held on for the 10th conference win of the season, a mark that puts them a game and a half ahead of North Carolina with five league games remaining. According to a message delivered by Krzyzewski to his team before the game, however, Sunday’s win was a pivotal step in defending the ACC title.
“Coach told us,” Kelly recalled, “‘Teams that are going to win championships are going to win this game.’”
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