No Jahlil Okafor, no problem.
No. 4 Duke tamed the Tigers Saturday afternoon at Cameron Indoor Stadium, routing Clemson 78-56 behind the play of senior Quinn Cook and freshman Justise Winslow. The duo combined for 47 points, with Winslow scoring 17 in the first half before Cook added 17 of his game-high 27 after the break.
Okafor watched the blowout from the bench in a walking boot as he heals from a sprained ankle suffered in Wednesday's win against North Carolina. The big man had plenty to cheer about, as both Grayson Allen and Tyus Jones joined Cook and Winslow in double-figures.
Revisiting the three keys to the game:
- Get on the glass: This became even more crucial once it was announced pregame that Okafor—Duke's leading rebounder at 9.4 boards per game—would sit out against the Tigers. Even without the 6-foot-11 freshman, the Blue Devils still outrebounded the Tigers 33-29. Winslow led the way with 13 boards as part of his double-double—no other Duke player had more than five rebounds.
- Figure out how to play without Okafor: The margin of victory doesn't show it, but there were still some growing pains for the Blue Devils without their biggest offensive weapon. Duke couldn't connect from long range early, missing 10 of its first 11 3-point attempts before making six of its last nine. Clemson was able to stay with shooters instead of collapsing on Okafor down low, but eventually the Blue Devils figured out how to move the ball around. Lost in the impressive performances by Cook and Winslow were the two points and no rebounds by junior Amile Jefferson in 16 minutes. The captain didn't see much time on the floor, and when he did, he didn't get the open looks he's gotten for most of the season playing opposite Okafor.
- Keep Rod Hall out of the paint: Clemson's primary facilitator was a non-factor for most of the afternoon, finishing with seven points, four assists and four turnovers. With Okafor not around to protect the rim, Duke played zone for the entire contest, forcing the Tigers—who entered Saturday shooting just 30.2 percent from downtown—to beat them from the outside. They couldn't, and Duke took full advantage.
Three key plays:
- 13:46 remaining, first half: Marshall Plumlee rips down a rebound and Cook starts the fast break, finding Winslow for a transition 3-pointer. The basket is part of a 7-0 run that helps the Blue Devils erase an early 11-6 lead, giving the home team a 13-11 lead and setting the stage for a big first-half run to put Duke ahead 42-27 by the halftime horn.
- 15:27 remaining, second half: Clemson rattles off a quick 8-0 run to start the second half, prompting a timeout by Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. On the Blue Devils' ensuing possession, Cook drills a triple to push the lead back to 51-37. The Tigers would get no closer than 10 the rest of the way, and the lead would grow to as large as 30. For Cook, the shot marked his 37th consecutive game with a made 3-pointer. The senior followed it up with two more treys later in the half.
- 5:30 remaining, second half: With the outcome all but decided by this point, Matt Jones added to the rout with a 3-pointer of his own. The sophomore from DeSoto, Texas, didn't have a great shooting day—the late trey was his only make in six attempts—but it was important for Jones to see one go down moving forward in ACC play.
Three key stats:
- Duke outscores Clemson in the paint 42-30: Even without the services of Okafor, the Blue Devils owned the paint against the Tigers Saturday. Winslow got into the paint off the dribble time and again, and Cook and Tyus Jones helped Duke get plenty of easy lay-ups in transition with their handiwork in the full-court press.
- Duke has 15 assists: Anytime Tyus Jones is involved, there's going to be some nifty passing, and Saturday was no exception. The Apple Valley, Minn., native handed out nine helpers to go with his 11 points as the Blue Devils spread the basketball across the floor. Cook and Winslow had the hot hands, but every scholarship player made a field goal against a Tiger team with a pretty good defense. Fifteen of Duke's 30 baskets were assisted.
- Blue Devils go 11-of-13 from the charity stripe: Wednesday night's thriller against North Carolina could have been less so if Duke had converted at the free throw line, but a 16-of-31 showing gave the Tar Heels extra life. The Blue Devils rectified that problem Saturday by making 11 of their 13 attempts. The volume of attempts weren't quite there, but Duke did more than enough to carve up the Clemson defense for open looks.
And the Duke game ball goes to.... Justise Winslow: The freshman set the tone early for the Blue Devils, attacking the basket in transition and earning multiple three-point play opportunities. Winslow also connected on his lone 3-pointer of the day and hauled in 13 rebounds, giving him his fourth double-double of the season. It was a quiet second half for the Houston product—just three rebounds—but getting the southpaw off to a quick start was exactly the boost Duke needed without the always-steady production of Okafor in the paint.
And the Clemson game ball goes to.... Jaron Blossomgame: Clemson's leading scorer was the lone Tiger to reach double-figures Saturday on what was another slow day at the office for Brad Brownell's offense. The sophomore collected 10 points and seven rebounds on 3-of-7 shooting, but fell well short of duplicating his 14-point, 14-rebound effort as a true freshman when the Tigers upset the Blue Devils last season.
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