Costly win: Duke outlasts Georgia Tech in injury-marred ACC Tournament opener

Luke DeCock, The News & Observer on Mar 13, 2025

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — It’s probably a stretch to say Duke survived its quarterfinal ACC tournament matchup with Georgia Tech on Thursday. The Blue Devils won, yes, after trailing by as many as 14, but at tremendous cost.

They lost Cooper Flagg to a left ankle injury, one that left him punching the padded chairs on the bench in frustration. And they lost Maliq Brown to a re-injured left shoulder, orchestrating their second-half comeback without their best player and one of their best defenders.

It was a Pyrrhic 78-70 victory, and while Duke may have benefited from enduring a little game pressure after an ACC campaign that didn’t offer much of it, the Blue Devils (29-3) certainly didn’t want to see Flagg sitting in a wheelchair, however briefly.

Flagg did return to the bench early in the second half to watch the conclusion; Brown did not. Their availability for Friday night’s semifinal against the North Carolina-Wake Forest winner remains in doubt, a concern far more pressing for top-seeded Duke than anything else that might happen in Charlotte.

Kon Knueppel had a game-high 28 points and eight assists for Duke, with Isaiah Evans adding 14 and Khaman Maluach also adding 14 points and nine rebounds. Duncan Powell led Georgia Tech (17-16) with 24 points.

Injuries aside, the Blue Devils were in trouble from the beginning. They missed their first 13 3-point attempts before Evans finally broke the seal and were outfought to nearly every loose ball.

But even without Flagg and Brown, the Blue Devils opened the second half on a 12-0 run to take control of the game and never trailed after taking the lead.