DURHAM, N.C. — It was a classic ending that never should've been.
A crisis was averted thanks to Mark Williams and a little help from the rims at Cameron Indoor Stadium with Mike Krzyzewski watching the second half from the Duke locker room Tuesday.
Williams' put-back dunk with 0.4 seconds left gave No. 5 Duke a 76-74 win over Wake Forest after blowing a 19-point lead in the second half.
Williams gently tapped in a Paolo Banchero miss that was reviewed for several minutes for offensive goaltending. Wake Forest's Damari Monsanto launched a full-court prayer on the game's final shot that nearly found its target, hitting off the backboard and then the front of the rim, as Duke avoided its second straight loss at home.
"I didn't think it was goaltending. I thought I got it off the rim," said Williams, who finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. "It was a good game, a little scary, obviously. But we found a way to win back at home, so that was the most important thing."
Duke led at 42-33 at halftime, but the team returned in the second half without Krzyzewski. He was "not feeling well," according to a Duke official.
Junior forward Wendell Moore said he noticed the 75-year-old Krzyzewski "wasn’t himself" in the first half and was "feeling dizzy at halftime." Moore, who scored 16 points in the win, said Krzyzewski was able to talk to the team after the game.
Coach-in-waiting Jon Scheyer took over for Krzyzewski for the second time this season — against the same team.
"You're just trying to do whatever you have to do to win," said Scheyer, who added that Krzyzewski was "doing better" and getting some well-needed rest. "That was the main focus. Being home at Cameron, I've never had that experience before."
This is the third time in two seasons Scheyer has served as head coach due to Krzyzewski’s absence. On Jan. 6, 2021, Scheyer led the Blue Devils to an 83-82 win over Boston College at an empty Cameron Indoor Stadium while Krzyzewski was quarantining at home after his daughter and granddaughter tested positive for COVID-19.
Krzyzewski also missed Duke's first win against Wake Forest this season due to a non-COVID related virus.
"I guess he really doesn't want to take a picture with me," Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes joked.
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