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SAN FRANCISCO — Every time Duke was in trouble Thursday night in its Sweet 16 showdown against an older and more experienced Texas Tech team at Chase Center, one of its youngest, least-experienced players was there to save the Blue Devils.
Paolo Banchero, a 19-year-old freshman big man, willed Duke to its 78-73 victory and a West Region matchup against Arkansas on Saturday in the Elite Eight.
Banchero scored a game-high 22 points on 7-for-12 shooting from the field, including 3-for-4 from 3-point range, allowing Mike Krzyzewski, who’s on a farewell tour to his brilliant career, to coach the Blue Devils for at least one more game.
Banchero’s performance left Krzyzewski breathless afterward, literally.
“Paolo did a couple of things tonight that he has never done in his life, and he did it instinctually,’’ Krzyzewski said. “He just wanted to win so badly, and it was so beautiful to see. You watch the tape and just see: It’s like when great players just go. They just go, and the moment and the need take them to a place that a great player would love to be in, and that’s where he was.
“I’m just so happy that I was there for that moment with him because it’s his. It’s his, but it benefited all of us.’’
Duke was down 10-2 less than 4:30 into the game and looked overwhelmed.
“In that first four minutes, we weren’t ready for that level of expertise on defense and their strength,’’ Krzyzewski said.
That is when the 6-foot-10, 250-pound Banchero made his presence felt, sinking big shot after big shot to either tie the score or put the Blue Devils ahead.
He completed a three-point play barely two minutes later that tied the score at 12-12. Just before the 11-minute mark, he hit the first of his three 3-pointers to tie the score at 15-15. Less than three minutes later, he sank two free throws to tie the score at 22-22.
With Texas Tech leading 33-26, he hit a monster dunk with 13 seconds remaining in the half.
In the second half, Banchero was even better in the clutch. He hit a jumper to give Duke a 49-47 lead with 11:37 left. He drained a 3-pointer to pull the Blue Devils to within 56-55 with 8:25 left, and his layup with 6:20 remaining gave them a 62-59 lead.
Finally, his 3-pointer with 2:57 remaining that gave Duke a 69-68 lead it never relinquished as the Blue Devils made their final eight shots of the game.
“I wouldn’t say it’s a new clutch gene at all,’’ Banchero said of the Blue Devils. “I would say all year in the biggest moments we’ve always stepped up, and there’s no bigger moment than this. I don’t know about these guys, but I’ve never played in a basketball game like that, so … ’’
“You were terrific,’’ Krzyzewski politely interrupted.
“When you are out there, you don’t even … it’s not like you’re even thinking,’’ Banchero said. “You’re just playing to win, and you’re playing extremely hard. So, when you are doing that and you are not afraid of the moment as a team, you’re going to do stuff like that.’’
Krzyzewski again stepped in, giddy about Banchero’s performance.
“I have to say one thing: I’ve been around so many good players, and when they just go into their own thing, where it’s stuff you can’t teach them and they just do it, that’s what he did,’’ Krzyzewski said. “For that little bit of time, and it gave us such a verve.’’
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