Duke at Clemson: Gameday Open Thread
Duke will be short-handed as the Blue Devils head to Clemson on Tuesday night.
Duke was already missing Wendell Moore Jr., who has missed two games after having surgery to repair a broken bone in his hand. He was still wearing a large brace on the hand this weekend and is out indefinitely.
The Blue Devils then announced today that sharpshooter Joey Baker will miss the Clemson game after suffering a right ankle sprain in practice this week.
Duke has won nine straight and is 5-0 in the ACC. The Blue Devils have won three of the last four conference games by at least 30 points.
Clemson is coming off of one of the biggest wins in program history after traveling to Chapel Hill and beating the Tar Heels there after going 0-59 prior. They’ll need to avoid a hangover as they return home to a crowd that’s likely also on a letdown after being up late Monday night to watch the football Tigers in the College Football Playoff championship game.
Clemson has won two straight and had the ACC co-player of the week Aamir Simms. Tre Jones is the other player of the week
Your officials:Mike Eades, Paul Szeic, Doug Shows
Your starters: Tre Jones, Vernon Carey, Matthew Hurt, Cassius Stanley, Jordan Goldwire
With a eight-man roster tonight, Coach K has already played seven at the under 16. Duke up 9-8.
Duke has hit 8 of its first 10 shots but leads just 17-16 at the under 12, mainly due to five turnovers.
Clemson with a spurt. They get past perimeter defenders on back-to-back possessions, one for a mid-range jumper, the other for a drive and dunk. Duke short on a breakaway layup and a driving layup, then Clemson hits a long three. Duke gets a time-out under eight minutes, down 28-22.
Duke just stopping no one on the drive. Clemson getting the rim at will. Tigers lead 37-31 at the under four. Simms has 12 points, 4 rebounds for Clemson. Stanley and Carey with 10 each for Duke. Clemson hitting 14 of 24, 5 of 9 from three.
O'Connell struggling badly, got torched on defense (on a drive, of course) then bounced a three off the side of the backboard. Drove and dunked on his next possession to save a little face.
Duke closes the half with a play symbolic of how the first 20 minutes went. AOC turned it over in the lane, then Duke stole it back to get a breakaway at the buzzer, but Goldwire left it short. At the break, Duke is down 40-33 and looking tired and out of sorts.
Duke opened the second half on a run, but Clemson scored on a drive and a backdoor to build the lead back to six, then knocked down a three. Duke has 11 turnovers. Need some kind of a spark. Instead, Cassius Stanley goes to the bench with four fouls. Carey forces up back-to-back shots. Game is teetering on the brink at this point.
Tre Jones down in a heap after getting fouled on a drive. Looks like he's staying in.
Jack White hits a three to cut the lead in half. Goldwire gets a steal and again blows a point-blank layup.
Duke with two good shots down two, one a Jones three that was off, the other two Vernon Carey FT misses. Clemson then scores on a backdoor and will go to the line when play resumes. Tigers up 52-48 at the under 12.
Duke with a steal, hits a three in transition and the Blue Devils lead, 53-52. Clemson has gone cold from the field. Time out with 10:00 left.
Carey misses two more free throws. Duke is 9-of-18. This is one of those games where the Blue Devils will need to make them.
Clemson takes the lead, then Tre Jones takes and misses a bad shot. Mack hits a jumper on the other end. 65-62, 4:38 left.
Jack White passes up an open three to drive baseline and dunk. At the under 4, we're at 65-64 Clemson.
Clemson bulls in for a bucket. Duke turnover. Clemson drives and scores. Duke offensive foul. This one could be over soon. Clemson up 69-64. Both teams doing what they've done all night.
Simms with an and-one. Goldwire responds with a three, but Clemson drives the lane, kicks and hits a three. Tigers up 8, under 2:00 left. Time running out on Duke.
Just as everyone tunes in to watch an upset in the making, we have two endless replay reviews in the final 1:30.
Clemson beats Duke for an offensive rebound. On the other end, Carey takes an ill-advised three. Clemson drives baseline to score.
Timeout Duke, 15.8 left. Duke down 78-72.
Clemson with the upset. 79-72.
