The Michigan State Spartans have stunned Duke in the Elite Eight. MSU upset the No. 1 overall seed in the NCAA tournament with a 68-67 victory to advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2015.
Duke screwed up the end of the game against Michigan State in these 3 ways
The Spartans stole a 68-67 victory to keep Duke out of the Final Four.
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Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Duke trailed most of the game, but took a three-point lead with 1:44 left on a tough finish by Zion Williamson. MSU answered on the other end with a layup from Xavier Tillman off a feed from Cassius Winston to cut the lead to one.
These are the types of games Duke has been able to survive throughout the tournament, first outlasting UCF when the Knights missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer, and then against Virginia Tech, when the Hokies blew a point-blank look that would have sent the game to overtime. This time, Duke wouldn’t be so lucky.
Zion Williamson lost Kenny Goins on the go-ahead bracket
The Spartans had a chance to take the lead the next time they got the ball after Tillman’s bucket. Tom Izzo drew up a play to go Kenny Goins a look from three, running Winston at Williamson to set a screen and allow Goins to pop out. Winston attracted both Williamson and Tre Jones as Goins splashed the go-ahead jumper with 39 seconds left.
Duke went away from Zion Williamson in crunch-time
When Duke needed a bucket, it was R.J. Barrett shooting the ball, not Williamson.
Barrett missed a long two-pointer with Duke up one with 53 seconds left. After Goins put the Blue Devils in front, Barrett missed another three-pointer, only to see his team grab the offensive board. After a timeout, Barrett got the ball again, drove it to the rim, and drew a foul. Barrett had Williamson cutting behind him, but didn’t see him.
Barrett missed the first free throw. He tried to miss the second, but it went in. Duke was now down one with 5.9 seconds left as the Spartans inbounded the ball.
Duke didn’t have enough fouls to get the ball back
Duke potentially would have had another offensive chance if it didn’t need to foul Michigan State four times to get them in the bonus.
Winston burned Barrett after the first foul, and Michigan State ran out the clock to win the game.
Williamson and Duke towered over this entire college basketball season, but it’s a Michigan State team without a projected first round NBA draft pick that sends them packing in the Elite Eight for the second year in a row. Williamson was incredible, finishing with 24 points, 14 rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Barrett added 20 points, six rebounds, and six assists. It still wasn’t enough.
The Spartans will face Texas Tech in the Final Four.
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