A Heartbreaking Finish: Duke's Final Four Collapse

Inside the Duke locker room, a heavy silence hung in the air, occasionally pierced by the harsh sound of a door slamming. Every time a team member stepped into the nearby coaches’ locker room, the door’s sharp clang resonated like an alarm in the stillness. Nothing can prepare a team for the wild emotional ride that follows losing a six-point lead in the last 35 seconds of a game. Houston’s nine-point streak in the final 33 seconds led to a shocking 70-67 victory over Duke in the Final Four on Saturday night, leaving the Blue Devils in a state of shushed bewilderment.

The players moved discreetly, picking pizza slices from ten boxes piled atop a Powerade cooler, and kept their eyes glued to their phones to avoid the media’s gaze. One emotional walk-on returned teary-eyed from the showers, while another quietly scribbled in a journal.

They replayed the stunning sequence that saw their six-point lead vanish in under 20 seconds. Despite a series of inbound errors, misses, and mental lapses, the crucial moments were defined by standout freshman Cooper Flagg, whose late foul and missed shot encapsulated the team’s downfall.

Flagg’s missed 12-footer, with Duke trailing by a single point, will be forever replayed. With a timeout called and 17 seconds on the clock, Duke had a chance to regain control. The ball was cleared for Flagg, and he faced Houston’s experienced J’Wan Roberts in isolation. Flagg’s shot from the lane faded away, bouncing off the rim’s front.

“It was the play Coach planned,” Flagg said. “I took it into the paint, thought my footing was right, but left it short. It’s a shot I’m comfortable with in that situation.”

There was no regret about the choice or the attempt; it simply didn’t connect.

“Cooper is the top player in the country, and when he gets to his sweet spot, that’s all we could ask for,” said Duke senior Sion James. “Sometimes these shots drop, sometimes they don’t. This one didn’t.”

More challenging to justify was Flagg’s over-the-back foul on Roberts following Tyrese Proctor’s missed free throw with 20 seconds left. Duke held a 67-66 lead, then Flagg got called for a foul as Roberts, who had boxed him out, secured the rebound.

The legitimacy of the call will spark debates wherever game discussions are held, but Flagg’s positioning left Duke vulnerable. Roberts, a 63% free throw shooter, shifted the game’s momentum by making both free throws, putting Houston ahead 68-67 and setting the stage for Flagg’s final attempt.

In a sport celebrated for resilience and tenacity, it’s fitting that Houston’s trip to the championship was clinched by key defensive plays. Kellen Sampson, assistant coach and son of Houston’s head coach Kelvin Sampson, captured the sentiment with one of his father’s sayings:

“Discipline can beat you just as much as great skill can win,” Kellen Sampson reflected. “I’ve probably heard it countless times growing up. The more disciplined you are, the better you can execute those small, game-winning actions.”

“That crucial free throw blockout was exactly what we needed,” he added.

Regardless of the call’s controversy, Flagg’s foul put Duke in an unexpected predicament. Their once comfortable six-point lead evaporated to a single-point deficit within 16 seconds. The foul marked the decisive shift from leading to trailing.

Houston’s strategic decision to leave Roberts on Flagg alone was pivotal, diverging from their earlier game plan. Flagg had exploited the Cougars with his passes until they trusted Roberts to manage the matchup.

“At halftime, we committed to trusting J’Wan,” Kellen Sampson said. “He was excelling in his matchups with Cooper. We realized we might be over-supporting.”

“Our defense is number one nationwide for a reason. Trust it.”

Throughout the night, Houston’s defense was relentless, highlighted by Duke center Khaman Maluach’s inability to secure a rebound over 21 minutes, finishing with a net -20 rating.

Roberts’ critical defense on Flagg’s potential winning shot sealed his impact.

“He guarded well, making the shot tough with raised hands,” praised Sampson. “Plenty of difficult shots tonight.”

Flagg concluded with 27 points, shooting 8-of-19. He received little support as Duke managed only one field goal over the last 10:30 of the game.

Back in the Duke locker room at 11:54 p.m., Flagg sat silently in a golf cart, a towel draped around his neck, contemplating the end of his season and, likely, his college journey.

Moments later, Duke coach Jon Scheyer passed by with his wife and athletic director Nina King. Despite holding a 14-point advantage at one stage, Duke relinquished what would become the fifth-largest Final Four lead in history. The loss, like the emphatic door slams, will reverberate throughout the offseason.

“I keep replaying it; we were up six with less than a minute,” Scheyer reflected.

“We just needed to close it out.”