Duke advanced to the Elite Eight with a 7-1 run led by Paolo Banchero and Jeremy Roach. (0:29)
The Blue Devil fans who had gathered at Chase Center to watch Duke play Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 were unsure if they were witnessing the continuation of a career or the end of one.
In a competitive game that featured 11 ties and 13 lead changes, the fans realized they might be watching the final minutes of Mike Krzyzewski's tenure, with Duke battling a team that entered the night with the nation's top defense.
The players told Krzyzewski it was time to go back to a man-to-man defense after Texas Tech had disrupted the flow of the game in the second half. The program was able to get a trip to the Elite Eight because of his trust in them.
Krzyzewski said that his players called for the second-half tweaking. They all said it. They said it with enthusiasm, and they want to do it. God bless them, we want to go man. These kids are a great group. They have grown up a lot in the last 12 days. It is a joy. It is an amazing thing.
The change helped Duke regain its confidence, as it seemed to confuse the Red Raiders. Duke extended its final season with key decisions and clutch plays down the stretch.
Duke freshman Paolo Banchero hit a 3-pointer with 2:57 to play to give the Blue Devil a 69-68 lead over Texas Tech. Jeremy Roach made clutch plays, including two jumpers in the final minutes, and kept the energy going when he sparred with a few Texas Tech players. Mark Williams played above the rim in the second half.
The Blue Devil scored on 12 of their final 15 possessions and made eight shots from the field.
In the biggest moments, we've always stepped up, and there is no bigger moment than this. It is not like you are thinking when you are out there. You are playing to win, and you are playing extremely hard. You are not afraid of the moment when you are doing that.
In the past three NCAA tournament appearances, Duke has reached the Elite Eight.
Krzyzewski had not found much success in this location. He had lost his three previous NCAA tournament games on the West Coast. Texas Tech was a trendy pick to stop Duke.
One of the keys to Krzyzewski's success is that he is not afraid to change.
When Duke went to a zone defense in the second half, it slowed Texas Tech, making it more timid as it tried to process the change. The defensive change made the Red Raiders think twice about every shot.
The zone defense saved the Blue Duke, according to Krzyzewski. The Red Raiders failed to score on their first six possessions against the zone in the second half as Duke used a zone defense. Texas Tech shot just 33% from the field against the zone on Thursday, compared with 44% against man-to-man defense.
Throughout the season, schools around the country celebrated the career of Krzyzewski. The weight of his farewell tour had affected his young team. Duke had battled Michigan State in the second round to advance to the Sweet 16 and then needed a comeback in the second half of the game.
In a Duke tradition, with a minute to go, Banchero and his teammates slapped the floor in unison. Their energy had changed. They used it to get the win and a trip to the Elite Eight.
It was a big moment for the team.
The slap the floor, what the hell? After the game, Krzyzewski said, "Why not?" They can now say they did that. Hopefully, they can say that again on Saturday.
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