The faces in the Yum Center crowd told the surreal tale Tuesday night. Boisterous joy gradually gave way to mild concern, then growing restlessness, then full-on nausea and anguish. On the court, the players’ faces were similarly revealing. Confidence steadily leaked away, replaced by caution, then by panic and fear. Nobody wanted the ball. Nobody wanted to shoot the ball. Nobody knew how to stop the possession-by-possession disaster from unfolding. Sixteenth-ranked Louisville really was going to blow a sure thing against No. 2 Duke. A 23-point lead really was going to turn into a two-point loss in less than 9½ minutes. A historic collapse really was taking place in real time. How did it happen? This is the anatomy of Mike Krzyzewski’s biggest comeback — and Louisville’s epic collapse. It started with a TV timeout at the 11:13 mark, with the score 56-36. That’s when Krzyzewski memorably told his team, “We’re going to win.” That’s also when he decided — what the hell, nothing else was working — to try a 2-2-1 full-court press that fell back into a 2-3 zone in the half court. And at the 9:41 mark, K made two crucial personnel moves: He brought star Zion Williamson off the bench with four fouls, and he inserted little-used guard Jordan Goldwire to help amp up the press. They were game-saving decisions. Though they took a while to take effect. Duke’s Cam Reddish celebrates the Blue Devils’ win over Louisville on Tuesday. (AP) After pushing the lead to 59-36 with 9:55 remaining, and keeping that lead until 9:04 remained, the Cardinals would have been better off committing a series of 30-second shot-clock violations than doing what they did. Namely, playing too quickly. Basically, Louisville pulled an Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI. With the game all but locked up, the Cardinals disregarded the clock and kept playing at an unnecessarily fast pace. “I thought there were a few times where we took quick shots,” Louisville coach Chris Mack said. “Although they may have been open shots, it didn’t allow us to get where we needed to get defensively in transition to get matched up and make it a five-on-five game.” Story continues That had actually started a few possessions before the Duke rally commenced, when the game began to resemble the slipshod run-and-gun of a summer AAU consolation-bracket run. Guards Darius Perry and Ryan McMahon and forward Jordan Nwora launched rushed 3-pointers that missed. Then, when the comeback was on, Louisville attempted one field goal five seconds into the shot clock, then another one four seconds into the clock, and a third 17 seconds into the clock. One of those was launched by 6-foot-11 center Malik Williams, a 32 percent 3-point shooter. Up 20 with 7:55 remaining, it didn’t seem like a big deal. A few minutes later, it certainly did. “A shot with 26, 25 seconds on the shot clock from your center from three, you can probably get that look really any time,” Mack said. When Louisville wasn’t shooting too quickly, it was turning the ball over — nine times in the final 8:06. Problems handling the pressure led to Mack calling a timeout with 6:09 left, and the lead down to 14. Then the Cardinals called another timeout 11 seconds later to avoid a turnover. At the 3:32 mark, with the lead at five, Mack took his last timeout. Going the final 212 seconds without a timeout only added to the Louisville stress. Turnovers had been a problem for the Cardinals, who coughed it up 23 times in a loss Saturday to Florida State — a game in which they had a 10-point lead with less than nine minutes left. That’s why Krzyzewski had his team work on the 2-2-1 leading up to this game. He saw an opponent susceptible to pressure. “We don’t do it very much, but we actually practiced it for this game,” Krzyzewski said. “So we felt we could do it.” Coach K kept Goldwire on the floor for the entire final 9:41, and he delivered a pair of steals and a pair of assists while helping reduce Louisville’s press offense to Jell-O. Duke’s long and athletic lineup particularly heated up Louisville point guard Christen Cunningham, who had 12 assists but also six turnovers. Even when Louisville got the ball past midcourt and got into their offense, the Cardinals were either too careless or too cautious passing. They often got the ball into the middle of the Duke 2-3 zone, but then failed to produce (or even take) open shots. As Duke crept closer, possession by possession, you could almost see the decision-making burden grow on the shoulders of the Cards. “I think our spacing was pretty good,” Mack said. “We were just tentative. Every pass was like they wanted to get to their teammate, and that tentativeness becomes a negative when you [are competing against] such a great anticipating team.” And Duke finally started making some shots, especially from the perimeter. In the first half, the Devils were 3-15 from 3-point range — not completely atypical for a team that ranks 295th nationally in 3-point accuracy. Cam Reddish — “Killer Cam,” in the words of star Zion Williamson — splashed all four of his threes during the comeback. “Cam hit dagger shots,” Krzyzewski said. In the final seconds, tied at 69, Williamson gave up the ball to Reddish for the opportunity for the game-winning dagger. Reddish drove into the paint and took a leap into a jump stop, just as McMahon rushed into his path. There was a collision, and a whistle. The officials called the play a charge with 14 seconds left, which would have given Louisville the chance to win. But they also correctly went to the replay monitor to review whether McMahon had established position outside the restricted arc under the rim. As it turned out, the guard’s right heel was on the line — a few inches away from the potential game-winning play. Reddish made both free throws. Louisville had a final possession, and with two seconds remaining Cunningham ended his 0-for-4 shooting night with a misfire from the lane. Williamson, the 285-pound tower of power, ripped the rebound away from a couple Cardinals, and the epic comeback/collapse was complete. “This,” Krzyzewski said, “is a crazy night.” More from Yahoo Sports: • Cowboys QB has odd reason for not giving discount • Fired ESPN broadcaster: ‘I did nothing wrong’ • Tebow turned down return to professional football • Forde: Duke stages historic 2nd-half rally<doc-sep>Andy Lyons/Getty Images No. 2 Duke stormed back from a 23-point second-half deficit to shock No. 16 Louisville with a 71-69 road win. Zion Williamson finished with 27 points and 12 rebounds to help key Tuesday's comeback at KFC Yum! Center. The Blue Devils picked up the defensive intensity in the final 10 minutes and got some easy baskets off 17 Cardinals turnovers. Cam Reddish then helped seal the win with two free throws with 14 seconds remaining. The guard also tied the game with a deep three-pointer as part of his 22-point night. This was enough for the team to earn its eighth straight win to improve to 22-2 on the year. Duke also improved to 6-0 in true road games, matching Tennessee as the only other team in college basketball undefeated on the road. Louisville (17-8) has now lost three of its last four games during a brutal stretch despite 23 points and 12 rebounds from Jordan Nwora on Tuesday. Forcing Duke to Shoot Outside Still Best Path to Beat Blue Devils Video Play Button Videos you might like Louisville fell apart down the stretch, but it wasn't because of its defense. It was the offense that gave up easy dunks and layups after turning it over constantly against the zone press late in the second half. Even with the loss, the Cardinals showed the blueprint to slowing down the Blue Devils. Duke shot 7-of-28 from beyond the arc Tuesday, as Louisville kept the offense in check for most of the night. The Blue Devils had 36 points through the first 30 minutes of action. Williamson was able to force his way inside and get his numbers, but the Cardinals were more than willing to let him take shots from beyond the arc. He finished 1-of-4 from deep. The defense was even more effective against RJ Barrett, keeping him out of the lane and forcing him to take jump shots. He finished 4-of-14 from the field in arguably his worst game of the season. Those two freshmen are blessed with tremendous athleticism and the ability to finish near the rim as well as anyone in college basketball. The best way to stop them is to keep them as far from the rim as possible. After Duke shot 13-of-21 from three-point range against then-No. 3 Virginia on Saturday, opposing coaches around the country likely felt a sense of panic. If this team can consistently knock down shots from the outside, it's nearly unstoppable. However, it now seems as though Saturday's performance was an aberration. If a team can push Duke's freshmen to the perimeter and not give up easy fast-break dunks, the Blue Devils will have a difficult time winning in the half court. This could be enough to upset them. Louisville Is Too Good to Allow Collapse to Affect Season There is no way around it: This was a bitterly disappointing loss for Louisville. The Cardinals appeared to be on their way to an easy win over Duke, but they collapsed down the stretch. No Louisville player had any confidence with the ball. This could've been the best win on the team's resume heading into March, but it's instead just another loss. Losing to the No. 2 team in the country is understandable, but this one will likely sting for a while. However, the first 30 minutes against the most talented squad in the country showed just how good Louisville can be when everything is clicking. Nwora has looked like an All-ACC player all season long—at least the most improved in the league after averaging only 5.7 points per game last year—and that continued against Duke. The sophomore finished with 23 points on 9-of-16 shooting, 12 boards, three assists and two steals. Although Nwora is Louisville's best offensive weapon, this team is not a one-man show. Christen Cunningham finished with 12 assists and is the type of senior leader at point guard necessary for a team to be successful in March. Steven Enoch and Dwayne Sutton also provide additional scoring and rebounding in the frontcourt. If Louisville shoots to its ability and cuts down on turnovers, it has more than enough talent to beat anyone in the country. Considering its three losses in the past two weeks to Duke, at North Carolina and at Florida State were by a combined 17 points, there should still be plenty of confidence throughout the roster. Perhaps most importantly, Chris Mack has done an outstanding job in his first year coaching the Cardinals. He has helped them play well against top opponents and has plenty of NCAA tournament experience after taking Xavier to the Sweet 16 four times in nine years. Louisville might not be a top-three seed, but it will be a major threat to go to the Final Four this season. What's Next? Each team will have an easier matchup at home Saturday. Duke will host North Carolina State, while Louisville will take on Clemson.<doc-sep>
It was the perfect letdown spot. After knocking off Virginia on Saturday in one of the biggest games of the season, No. 2 Duke had to hit the road again, this time to face No. 16 Louisville in a packed Yum! Center looking to see another success-affirming win here in Chris Mack's first season with the Cardinals. For more than 30 minutes of game time, Louisville pitched the perfect game. Everything that Mack drew up was working on offense and the Blue Devils looked lost as Louisville stretched the lead to 23 points with 9:13 remaining. But that changed when, according to Zion Williamson, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski told his team, "I don't coach losers" and continued to tell this young team that they would, in fact, win the game. Duke's 71-69 win at Louisville was confirmation of this team's toughness, and it's willingness to believe in its coach who just so happens to be the winningest in the history of the sport. This was a young team in a tough spot, getting outplayed on the road and absolutely beaten down by a Louisville team that, for 30 minutes, totally dominated nearly every aspect of the contest. "It just took us playing hard," Williamson told ESPN after the game. "They were playing harder than us, Louisville's a very great win. It was a little frustrating at first. Coach K always told us if we need confidence look at him. And he was telling us the whole time that we were going to win. And shout out to Jordan Goldwire. He came in, played excellent defense. He really stepped up for us." The 35-10 run Duke used to close the game included 10-of-15 shooting, 11 made free throws and was powered by full-court defensive pressure that turned Louisville's offense into a game of hot potato. Empty possessions -- either because of turnovers or bad shots -- allowed the Blue Devils to chip into the lead. Duke gained confidence with every bucket, celebrating loudly and embracing the challenge of mounting this historic comeback. Williamson and RJ Barrett got aggressive, and started attacking Louisville's defenders in one-on-one opportunities. The 23-point second-half comeback was the largest for Coach K during his time at Duke and the largest in program history since 1950-51. It shouldn't be lost how close Louisville came to holding on for this win. The Cardinals had a look from 3-point range by leading scorer Jordan Nwoara with 45 seconds when the score was tied 69-69 and a Christen Cunningham jump shot to tie with three seconds left. Both shots were good looks that just didn't fall, but those misses followed more than a dozen small defeats in the quest for ultimately victory over the Blue Devils. Not only did Cam Reddish's game-winning free throws come after a charge call was reviewed and switched to a block when Ryan McMahon was determined to be inside the protected area at the time of contact, but most of the final minutes for Louisville were played with no timeouts. While the Cardinals couldn't find any kind of rhythm or organization on offense, Chris Mack was left to look frustrated on the sidelines with few ways to rally the troops. Louisville has already proved itself to be one of the best teams in the ACC, right there behind the power trio of Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. The collapse doesn't change anything about this team's status and the first 30 minutes should only affirm that Mack has things moving in the right direction. This result was mostly a credit to the comeback, and how dangerous Duke can be when it decides to flex its toughness on the defensive end of the court.