MOTM: Duke v. Louisville (Feb 12, 2019)

[JBDuke]

Who was Duke's Man of the Match in their win over Louisville tonight?

[JBDuke]

I'm giving my vote to Jordan Goldwire, who didn't score a point, but played a key role in the defense that allowed Duke to make the run and get back into it.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Goldwire's D!!!!!!

[Ian]

Goldwire +26 for the game. How can it be anyone but him?

[devildeac]

I stopped watching down 23, playing like @#$% with some really bad reffing. It was not good for my heart. I am stunned. I'm ordering a 14 ounce crow for dinner tomorrow with extra sauce. Grilled. :o

[drummerdevil]

It has to go to Jordan Goldwire, and here’s why. Almost the exact same time he checked into the game, Duke won the game. As amazing as Zion was, and as all-around of a game as it was from everyone, Goldwire caused the defense to refocus and brought in an unexpected lineup that caused one of the craziest comebacks in Duke history.

[DukieInKansas]

Goldwire gets my vote - if the poll would show me names.

eta - switched from mobile view and the poll appeared. Goldwire still got me vote.

[CameronBornAndBred]

It has to go to Jordan Goldwire, and here’s why. Almost the exact same time he checked into the game, Duke won the game. As amazing as Zion was, and as all-around of a game as it was from everyone, Goldwire caused the defense to refocus and brought in an unexpected lineup that caused one of the craziest comebacks in Duke history.

This one is up there on the Hallowed Halls now with The Miracle Minute.

[devilnfla]

Goldwire

[FerryFor50]

Absolutely Goldwire. But Zion played an awesome game with 4 fouls. Amazing that he was able to stay aggressive on offense and defense and not pick up his 5th and still be incredibly effective.

[Duke79UNLV77]

Can we vote for Zion’s sweat?

[wavedukefan70s]

I'd give k this one .he changed d orchestrated the greatest comeback ever.

[HereBeforeCoachK]

3 legit choices......I went for Cam, because he had "the look" from three late.....and wanted the ball....but I'm totally on board with any votes for Zion and Goldie......

[Devilwin]

Awesome comeback.. Went with Cam, his threes were huge..But Zion, Goldwire and the rest were great late..Amazing comeback..
:eek:

[ncexnyc]

I went with Cam. When you've got a kid who can stroke it like that you're in every game.

[gotoguy]

Blown layup notwithstanding, we don't win without Goldwire's defensive hustle

[kAzE]

I still went with Zion, but not surprised Jordan is running away with it. He definitely lit a fire under this team with his energy.

Cam was also deserving, with the clutch shooting. Can't go wrong with any of those 3 guys.

[Furniture]

Got to be Goldwire. Those people in chat who were giving him crap. Take that....

[kako]

Reddish hit the big shots, but IMO Goldwire was the key to the game. I can't vote for K putting on the defensive adjustments, so Goldwire gets my vote.

9F

[jipops]

Zion is the God of All Beasts. Goldwire would be a no brainer if he hadn’t blown that wide open layup.

[fisheyes]

Voted for Goldwire but the answer is K

[rasputin]

Voted for Goldwire but the answer is K

You beat me to it. K.

[SoCalDukeFan]

You win as a team and lose as a team.

Last time I voted was Austin Rivers at the cheaters.

I won't vote but I hope Coach K gives the game ball or something to Jordan Goldwire.

SoCal

[Edouble]

Tre was the only starter I saw tonight who played with heart every second he was on the court, and he did so for the full 40 minutes.

He was as key as Goldwire in making the zone press turn the game around.

My vote goes to Tre.

[Neals384]

Just a couple games ago, people were discussing the front page article that highlighted Goldwire's shooting woes. I don't recall who, but someone on this board called him a "practice player." Apology time, dude!

[CameronBlue]

You win as a team and lose as a team.

Last time I voted was Austin Rivers at the cheaters.

I won't vote but I hope Coach K gives the game ball or something to Jordan Goldwire.

SoCal

I vote but you make the obvious and quite pithy point. Voting tonight would leave me feeling like I betrayed a deserving member of the team. Zion is fully vested in the game, every second he's on the court. It's just incredible the passion this kid has. Vote against Cam, are you kidding? I couldn't believe that he only went 4-14 from three because it seemed that while Zion was on the bench Cam was Duke's only offense. Not only did he hit the 3 to tie but the two free throws to put Duke ahead and all of his tries when he was fouled on the 3. Big time wavos that kid has. And Goldwire defined grit tonight, he and Jones played off of each other incredibly well. Goldwire held his man in check while Tre sniped from behind, it was awesome to watch.

Team victory.

[CameronBornAndBred]

Just a couple games ago, people were discussing the front page article that highlighted Goldwire's shooting woes. I don't recall who, but someone on this board called him a "practice player." Apology time, dude!

K has a great ability to know when the time is right. Ask Grayson Allen about that. :rolleyes:

[fathippo]

Coach K was the reason we won. Zion's comments after the a game showed how much they believe and trust in K even when they are down 20. Also, his defensive adjustment and going with Goldwire were obviously key. He even trusted Goldwire on the final defensive play. Tre played hard and Zion was great in the second half with foul trouble. Although Goldwire rarely hits a three and misses layouts, dude played with max effort defensively and propelled the comeback. Voted for Goldwire.

[Edouble]

I vote but you make the obvious and quite pithy point. Voting tonight would leave me feeling like I betrayed a deserving member of the team. Zion is fully vested in the game, every second he's on the court. It's just incredible the passion this kid has. Vote against Cam, are you kidding? I couldn't believe that he only went 4-14 from three because it seemed that while Zion was on the bench Cam was Duke's only offense. Not only did he hit the 3 to tie but the two free throws to put Duke ahead and all of his tries when he was fouled on the 3. Big time wavos that kid has. And Goldwire defined grit tonight, he and Jones played off of each other incredibly well. Goldwire held his man in check while Tre sniped from behind, it was awesome to watch.

Team victory.

Two guys that never see the court together, playing a defense we never play, and they were absolutely in sync and locked in. As Coach K said "Spectacular!"

[duke4ever19]

I voted Goldwire, because I wanted to call attention to what a wonderful tactic it was for Coach K to go to him in that situation. Goldwire and Jones were causing chaos in the backcourt, jumping passing lanes and ambushing ballhandlers with double teams. It was amazing.

Did Coach K find something here that he can use in other games as a legitimate defense for stretches? I really liked it.

[JetpackJesus]

The correct answer (Coach K) wasn't an option, so I guess I vote Goldwire.

[jv001]

When Zion was interviewed after the game, he gave Jordan props for his play in the comeback. Z never ceases to amaze me and tonight Jordan did as well. GoDuke!

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Last night, after much debate, I voted Zion in this poll. This morning, in the main page poll, I voted for JGold. My vote made it 199-197 JGold over Zion. Could have tied it at 198 all! Magnificent comeback. Amazing! Never give up, don’t ever give up! It ain’t over til the fat lady sings! LGD GTHc!

[HereBeforeCoachK]

Coach K was the reason we won. Zion's comments after the a game showed how much they believe and trust in K even when they are down 20..

Which is so ironic....because from outward appearances, it certainly looked liked K had decided to just let this game be a painful lesson.....or a game where he just decides to let the kids figure it out on the court if they can. (He seems to do that every now and again, part of his genius). No coat tossing or any of that.....the whole thing is just astonishing.

[Mtn.Devil.91.92.01.10.15]

Which is so ironic...because from outward appearances, it certainly looked liked K had decided to just let this game be a painful lesson....or a game where he just decides to let the kids figure it out on the court if they can. (He seems to do that every now and again, part of his genius). No coat tossing or any of that....the whole thing is just astonishing.

Made the same comment to MTHN (My Tar Heel Neighbor, for the unfamiliar). Sometimes, K goes to his special place and let's the team work it out. To be fair, that required an AWFUL lot of patience last night. And also, the Assistant Coaches were working their rear ends off at the time.

By the time we got to under four minutes, K seemed much more, um, engaged.

Anyone wondering why K gets the absolute best players should watch tape of this game.

[wsb3]

And Coach K also signaled for Jordan Goldwire, the Blue Devils' backup point guard who entered the night with just 42 minutes under his belt during conference play


In a matter of minutes, Goldwire went from afterthought to game-changer.

"We found something," Krzyzewski said afterwards when asked about the decision to play Goldwire alongside starting floor general Tre Jones down the stretch. "[Jordan] had the best look of anyone on the bench. Sometimes when you look down, and he was sitting at the edge of his seat wanting to get in, so let’s get in, man, and then you didn’t want to take him out."

[WillJ]

I spasmed when he airballed that open layup....but Goldwire was the MOTM. He and the zone really turned us around.

[dukelifer]

Last night, after much debate, I voted Zion in this poll. This morning, in the main page poll, I voted for JGold. My vote made it 199-197 JGold over Zion. Could have tied it at 198 all! Magnificent comeback. Amazing! Never give up, don’t ever give up! It ain’t over til the fat lady sings! LGD GTHc!

I am not sure how you cannot give this to Cam. The kid hit some unbelievable shots. No question the D made this possible but unless Cam knocks down those deep threes - this game is a loss. He had confidence - he gave his team confidence- and he was the guy with the ball in his hands at end when he got the block call. I have been critical of Cam but when he gets put in pressure situations he responds. Some players just play better when the game is more intense. This was a team win - but you have to hit shots to come back from 23 and Cam made a bunch.

[dukelifer]

Coach K was the reason we won. Zion's comments after the a game showed how much they believe and trust in K even when they are down 20. Also, his defensive adjustment and going with Goldwire were obviously key. He even trusted Goldwire on the final defensive play. Tre played hard and Zion was great in the second half with foul trouble. Although Goldwire rarely hits a three and misses layouts, dude played with max effort defensively and propelled the comeback. Voted for Goldwire.
If you listen to the presser- K was like me. He thought they might get a respectable loss out of this if they played hard. He honestly did not expect a win and said so. But his team responded and he gets a very nice bday present.

[DevilHorse]

This one is up there on the Hallowed Halls now with The Miracle Minute.

Need a nick name for this comeback. The Terrific Ten?
Gold on the wire?
White is the new Black?

I voted for Cam. His 3's in rhythm really kept our scoring momentum going. Nothing was falling for the first 30 minutes of the game, but his treys when Louisville could only get 2's or 0's really started to reel in the Cardinals.

Larry
DevilHorse

[MrPoon]

I picked Goldwire because Zion told me to in the interview post game.

[Wander]

Have we ever had a MOTM winner with zero points in the game? (totally deserved here IMO)

[Acymetric]

Gosh, this one is tough.

Zion: Lead the team in points, rebounds, and steals. Managed his foul trouble at the end of the game masterfully (it should maybe not be surprising that he is so good at avoiding fouls when needed given the agility he shows on offense).

Reddish: Strong offensive output, and that dagger three to tie. Probably a little too inneficient to overtake Zion given Zions better stats.

Goldwire: Today's no-stat all-star. He was only credited with 2 steals, but I suspect he was "involved" in some additional turnovers. That airballed layup was pretty bad. I know single-game +/- doesn't mean much, but +26 in a game we won by 2 is hard to ignore.

As someone who has advocated for Goldwire throughout the season (especially when Tre was injured), I have to take this opportunity to vote for him. Like Coach K said, we "found something" today (yesterday). That said, the whole team showed some guts in the final third of this game. What a comeback!

[elvis14]

Have to go Zion since this is a MOTM poll. If it was "guy who stepped up and played more/better than I thought he would but wasn't really the MOTM" I would have voted for Goldwire. Without Zion, we lose this game by 40.

Zion for MOTM
Goldwire for GWSUAPMBTITHWBWRTMOTM

[Truth&Justise]

And Coach K also signaled for Jordan Goldwire, the Blue Devils' backup point guard who entered the night with just 42 minutes under his belt during conference play


In a matter of minutes, Goldwire went from afterthought to game-changer.

"We found something," Krzyzewski said afterwards when asked about the decision to play Goldwire alongside starting floor general Tre Jones down the stretch. "[Jordan] had the best look of anyone on the bench. Sometimes when you look down, and he was sitting at the edge of his seat wanting to get in, so let’s get in, man, and then you didn’t want to take him out."

From that same article:

"Jordan's my player of the game," Williamson said. "He came in and played great minutes and left it all out there on the court."

I guess that settles it?

[jv001]

From that same article:

"Jordan's my player of the game," Williamson said. "He came in and played great minutes and left it all out there on the court."

I guess that settles it?

If Zion says it, then that settles it. Can I have my vote back. :cool: GoDuke!

[Native]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-COG4YTn6M

[azzefkram]

Went with JGold. I was tempted to pick Zion but I thought his D was very suspect for much of the game. Cam played a good game as well.

[wsb3]

If Zion says it, then that settles it. Can I have my vote back. :cool: GoDuke!

Must spread comments around...

[jv001]

Went with JGold. I was tempted to pick Zion but I thought his D was very suspect for much of the game. Cam played a good game as well.

In the first half, Zion gambled and missed on some steal attempts that led to points for Louisville. He also messed up on at least 2 inbound plays that gave our opponent easy baskets. Not a good half on defense for Zion. Just proves he's human, I think. GoDuke!

[HereBeforeCoachK]

In the first half, Zion gambled and missed on some steal attempts that led to points for Louisville. He also messed up on at least 2 inbound plays that gave our opponent easy baskets. Not a good half on defense for Zion. Just proves he's human, I think. GoDuke!

The lapses on OB defense was more concerning than the gambling situation.....I mean, let Zion be a 'degenerate' at times...:cool:

I'm thinking the baseline ball in D will get serious work this week.

[kAzE]

Went with JGold. I was tempted to pick Zion but I thought his D was very suspect for much of the game. Cam played a good game as well.

To be fair, when you're in foul trouble the entire game (and not entirely his own fault, because come on, that illegal screen was BS), your defense can't be very aggressive.

[CDu]

To be fair, when you're in foul trouble the entire game (and not entirely his own fault, because come on, that illegal screen was BS), your defense can't be very aggressive.

Ironically, most of Williamson's bad defense was in the first half when he wasn't in foul trouble. He picked up 3 quick fouls in limited second half minutes, but was pretty magnificent during the stretch of the game (the last ~10 minutes) when he had 4 fouls.

Lots of players seemed a step slow in terms of their focus in the first half. Then, early in the second half, Zion got in foul trouble, and the wheels came off. When he came back (which coincided with the insertion of Goldwire and smallball pressure) the game flipped in our favor as everyone was uber-focused.

[jv001]

Ironically, most of Williamson's bad defense was in the first half when he wasn't in foul trouble. He picked up 3 quick fouls in limited second half minutes, but was pretty magnificent during the stretch of the game (the last ~10 minutes) when he had 4 fouls.

Lots of players seemed a step slow in terms of their focus in the first half. Then, early in the second half, Zion got in foul trouble, and the wheels came off. When he came back (which coincided with the insertion of Goldwire and smallball pressure) the game flipped in our favor as everyone was uber-focused.

And the rest was history. The team suddenly had a sense of urgency and Louisville panicked. I wonder if Coach K didn't use the 2-2-1 zone in the first half because the team looked tired in his eyes. I guess when we got 23 points down, we didn't have anything to lose. I'm proud of the team for not giving up. The look in Zion's eyes when Coach K was talking to the team during a timeout was priceless. You could tell the team had regained their focus. GoDuke!