DURHAM — To hear Duke talk after the fact, this one was never in doubt.
“I’ve played in a lot of games like this,” said freshman Jared McCain. “It’s kind of what I live for.”
Duke’s 12-point lead was a distant memory in the waning seconds of the Blue Devils’ home game with Clemson. Coming off a shocking loss to Pitt that ended with the visiting players dancing on the press tables, the possibility of a two-game home losing streak seemed like a possibility.
Trailing by one point, Duke got the ball with seven seconds and change remaining.
“We actually worked on that play in shoot-around,” said point guard Tyrese Proctor. “It was a little ‘Get it to me on the run, and I just had to make a play.”
Proctor sped down the right side of the court and made a dart to the basket. He was knocked to the floor with one second remaining and would shoot free throws for the win.
Duke had missed an uncharacteristic 12 of 31 free throws so far in the game, which helped open the door for Clemson’s comeback. But, again, the outcome with one tick left to go was already sealed.
“I was just talking to myself, knowing that I was going to make both of them,” Proctor said. “I hadn’t been shooting the free throw that well this season.”
What was he saying to himself?
“That I’m the best free throw shooter in the country,” he said. “Just take my time.”
Perhaps, however, despite all the postgame bluster, there was a seed of doubt in the moment. Perhaps his arms were a bit heavy? His knees weak? His palms…
As Proctor prepared for the shots, teammates walked up to him to offer congratulations. He turned his hands palm away from each approaching Blue Devil, fingertips dangling away from them, offering the back of his hand for a bump of support. One after another, each Duke teammate tapped the back of Proctor’s hand.
“Yeah, I didn’t want to get my hands all sweaty and stuff for the ball,” he explained, looking a bit sheepish.
Is this some type of superstition or ritual he does before each free throw?
“No,” he replied. “I just didn’t want to get my hands wet.”
Couldn’t he get a towel from the bench to make sure he was dry and prepared?
“Yeah, but I just wanted to be sure,” he said.
“That’s a tough moment to be in,” Duke coach Jon Scheyer said. “It’s a moment you dream about — the chance to win the game, down one with one second to go.”
Proctor knocked down both free throws. “Cool as can be,” Scheyer boasted of his point guard, and Duke pulled out a blown-lead, come-from-behind, miracle finish to top Clemson, 72-71.
It was a game that the Blue Devils came dangerously close to losing, with many of the same problems that cropped up in the Pitt loss again rising to the surface. Big man Kyle Filipowski had a bad night. The defending ACC Player of the Year was just 2 of 8 from the field and 5 of 11 from the free-throw line. He had just five rebounds as Duke was again dominated on the boards. The Blue Devils had just one offensive rebound midway through the second half and finished with four to Clemson’s 11. The Tigers won second-chance points by a 15-0 margin, and Filipowski fouled out on the play that put Clemson on top with seven seconds left.
Filipowski came up with a big play just prior to that, however, driving to the hoop and scoring as he was fouled, then knocking down an and-one to put Duke in front by one point in the final minute.
“That might have been the biggest play of the game,” Scheyer said. “A lefty finish through contact.”
Jeremy Roach, who missed the Pitt game, was still feeling the effects of his ankle injury. He was on the bench to start the game and had just 5 points on 1 of 8 shooting.
“Jeremy literally has not practiced since the game on Tuesday, and he just tried to will it out today,” Scheyer said. “He didn’t have his best stuff, but he did just enough. Flip (Filipowski), same thing. I don’t think he had his best stuff.”
Clemson coach Brad Brownell questioned whether Duke did just enough to win, or whether the Blue Devils may have had an assist from the officials.
“We lost by two the last time I was here and we had the lead with two minutes to go,” he said. “I have been here in this same situation about four times, within a possession. I have not won one yet. So, tonight was as close as we got. We got to one second and had it taken from us.”
When informed of the comments, Scheyer fired back.
“I can go through the whole game and talk about the different plays of them pushing us in the back when we’re blocking out. I can go down the whole game,” he said. “All I know is Tyrese Proctor made a heck of a play to drive it to the basket and he gets fouled and shoots two free throws. He should be celebrated for that.”
He had it all the way, even if, in the moment, his knees might have been a little weak, and his palms sweaty.
