Coach K had a blunt, but perfect message for his team during a timeout that sparked a 23-point comeback
Trending News
Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
The Blue Devils capped their largest comeback in 69 years after Coach K delivered some harsh words to his team.
With 10 minutes remaining in their Tuesday-night matchup, the No. 2 Duke Blue Devils trailed the 16th-ranked Louisville Cardinals by 23 points, their largest deficit of the season.
But Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski refused to let the young Blue Devils hang their heads, prompting the largest comeback win in the Hall of Fame coach's tenure with the program."He said he don't coach losers," Williamson told ESPN after the game. "[He] only coach winners. He said to go out there and play hard, and he could coach us to a win."
Krzyzewski elaborated on what he told Williamson and the team in his press conference later that evening:"I told my team, I said 'You're not losers, but you're playing like losers,'" Krzyzewski said. "February is a crazy
month, because it's a long haul before March, and everybody is hungry. They're trying to make their marks. These kids can already feel like they've made a mark. And so, you're playing against somebody that can be hungrier than you, and our thing going into the game was 'Play harder than them,' and we weren't able to do that. So, that's a lesson for our guys."
A minute later, Louisville's Ryan McMahon was whistled for the block on a Reddish drive, and the Haverford, Pennsylvania, native knocked down both free throws to give Duke its first lead since midway through the first half and cap the comeback victory.
"We were very fortunate," Krzyzewski said. "That was a great win for us, that their team played us for 30 minutes, not just outplayed, they outcompeted us. I commend them. They probably were more deserving of winning. But, in the last 10 minutes, we were spectacular.""He said he don't coach losers, only coach winners."
Zion shared how Coach K got his team to rally back from a 23-point deficit. pic.twitter.com/EtCtEzJTET
- ESPN (@espn) February 13, 2019
Cam Reddish came up BIG TIME down the stretch for @DukeMBB! He not only drilled the game-tying shot, he also hit the game-winning free throws! ❄️#HereComesDuke #CamFam (@camreddish) pic.twitter.com/NeOI1lXE9J
- ACC Digital Network (@theACCDN) February 13, 2019
Copyright © 2021. Times Internet Limited. All rights reserved.For reprint rights. Times Syndication Service.
Next