SOUTH BEND, Ind.—The NBA: where everybody makes a run.
Wednesday’s 77-73 thriller at Purcell Pavilion wasn’t an NBA game, but it had no shortage of runs. Notre Dame built a 25-18 lead with a 14-2 run midway through the first half, only to see the Blue Devils answer back with a 14-5 spurt of their own to reclaim the lead going into halftime.
Duke built a 63-53 lead with 12:45 remaining thanks to a 14-4 scoring spree, but from there, the Fighting Irish tallied 24 of the final 34 points to claim the victory.
“You’re going to get a run from them, for crying out loud. We had a run [too], that’s why we had a 10-point lead,” head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. “You have to beat other people when they’re good and they’re playing well, and [Notre Dame is] good and they’re playing well.”
Notre Dame is no stranger to come-from-behind efforts. The Fighting Irish stormed back last weekend to overcome a 16-point deficit against N.C. State, again keyed by the play of guard Jerian Grant.
Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey—a former assistant to Krzyzewski at Duke—half-jokingly suggested that his team might be falling behind on purpose, setting the stage for the late-game runs.
“Other teams have been able to come back, but this group almost relishes it,” Brey said. “When you’re down, you play with nothing to lose. You play loose. When you’re playing at home in a big game, human nature is you’re a little tight…. We were uptight at times because the moment was big. Then you get down 10, nothing to get uptight about, because you’re thinking ‘We may get blown out. Let’s just play.’”
Wednesday’s game had the back-and-forth drama to it that makes the professional ranks so entertaining. Unsurprisingly, there were plenty of scouts on hand to get a look at some of the NBA prospects on both teams. There was plenty to like.
Grant led all scorers with 23 points and added 12 assists and six rebounds. Jahlil Okafor went for 22 points and 17 rebounds. Tyus Jones scored 12 of his 14 points after halftime, and Justise Winslow got back on track, recording his first double-digit scoring effort since Jan. 11.
Notre Dame’s credential sheet Wednesday listed seating for representatives from 17 NBA franchises—20 seats in all. The Miami Heat had two seats on the seating chart, and the Milwaukee Bucks had three.
Other franchises in attendance: Los Angeles Clippers, Indiana Pacers, Portland Trailblazers, San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Phoenix Suns, Oklahoma City Thunder, Detroit Pistons, Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.
Keep up with the Blue Zone for all your Duke basketball and recruiting news as the Blue Devils look to bounce back from Wednesday's loss Saturday at No. 2 Virginia.
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