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The second-ranked Duke Blue Devils earned their 11th win of the season Thursday night, defeating the No. 12 Texas Tech Red Raiders 69-58 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
RJ Barrett played a key role for the Blue Devils, scoring 16 points, while Zion Williamson finished with 17 points, 13 rebounds and one block before fouling out. Tre Jones chipped in with 13 points.
Texas Tech was unable to pull off the upset despite the best efforts of Jarrett Culver. The sophomore guard shot 9-of-21 en route to a 25-point night.
Zion Shows MSG Crowd He’s Perfect Fit for Knicks
It was lost on nobody that Williamson was stepping onto hallowed ground and entering an arena he may inhabit regularly in the NBA.
“That’s the big stage,” Williamson said of getting to play in Madison Square Garden, per the New York Post‘s Mike Vaccaro. “The Garden? That’s where big names are made.”
Knicks team president Steve Mills was on hand to see Williamson and the other projected lottery picks on the floor in the Big Apple.
https://t.co/qmikGPvUmLNew York’s roster may look significantly different at the start of the 2019-20 season, based on whether the team can land a marquee free agent in the summer. Looking at what the Knicks have now, Williamson would fit nicely in the frontcourt.
Jonathan Wasserman @NBADraftWass
Only saying it because this game is in NY—Hard not to like Zion’s potential fit with Porzingis for his presence/physicality around basket, ability to guard perimeter
Williamson would even work if the Knicks hit the lottery and signed Kevin Durant. Durant and Williamson could occupy the two forward positions, with Porzingis moving over to center more regularly. Kevin Knox might get crowded out of the starting lineup, but head coach David Fizdale would cross that bridge when it comes.
A lot of things have to go in New York’s favor for Williamson to land with the Knicks. They’d have the fifth-best chances (10.5 percent) of landing the No. 1 pick in the 2019 draft if the season ended Thursday, per Tankathon. Still, you can’t fault Knicks fans for dreaming, especially when they witness Williamson playing a starring role in MSG.
Suffocating Defense Will Take Red Raiders Far in NCAA Tournament
Entering Thursday, a level of skepticism surrounded Texas Tech. The Red Raiders defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers by 18 points in November, but they’ve had an otherwise easy slate relatively speaking.
Texas Tech put those questions to bed for the time being.
Jeff Eisenberg @JeffEisenberg
Chris Beard lost an all-league senior, a one-and-done freshman and a couple other key guys, and a year later he has Texas Tech undefeated and pushing Duke. That’s crazy impressive.
Prior to this defeat, the Red Raiders were first in adjusted defense, per KenPom.com, while holding opponents to 32.2 percent shooting and 25.0 percent on three-pointers, which rank first and fourth, respectively.
While some of that is the result of playing the likes of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Abilene Christian and Mississippi Valley State, Texas Tech’s defense is for real. Duke was averaging 93.6 points but mustered 69 against the Red Raiders, and the Blue Devils were 3-of-20 from beyond the arc as a team.
Jeff Ermann @Jeff_Ermann
Texas Tech’s team defense is incredible. There is literally always a help defender there, it’s uncanny. Can’t think of many coaches whose stock is rising like Chris Beard’s.
Jeff Borzello @jeffborzello
Duke had just four made baskets against Texas Tech’s halfcourt defense in the first half. Red Raiders, of course, turned the ball over 15 times — leading to 16 fast-break points.
Texas Tech reached its first Elite Eight in 2018, and another quarterfinal run is well within reach this season. The Red Raiders defense can shut down anybody on its best night, as fans saw for most of Thursday night. In Culver, Tech also has a scorer who isn’t afraid to take the big shots and make them late in a game, which isn’t a luxury always afforded to defensive-minded teams.
Although Duke walked away with the victory, Texas Tech’s reputation arguably received a bigger boost.
What’s Next?
Duke moves to ACC play in its next game. The Blue Devils welcome the Clemson Tigers on Jan. 5. Texas Tech plays the UT Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros on Dec. 28 before it shifts to Big 12 action in January.
from Viral News Show http://bit.ly/2ScHep6
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