The Blue Devils started the game on a 20-3 run on their way to 94-45 rout of UNLV Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Grayson Allen poured in a career-high 34 points to help his team cruise to its eighth straight win.
Revisiting the three keys to the game:
- Get Grayson going: With a career-high 34 points on 12-of-16 shooting and an especially efficient 6-of-9 performance from beyond the arc, Allen looked fully recovered from the toe injury that has plagued him in recent games. The junior guard demonstrated his full explosion and athleticism on multiple rim-rattling dunks.
- Move the ball: The Blue Devils had 18 assists to 11 turnovers and four players in double figures in scoring, as the ball worked its way around both the frontcourt and the perimeter. Amile Jefferson led Duke with five assists and no turnovers.
- Limit second opportunities: The Blue Devils outrebounded the Runnin’ Rebels by 11 and pulled down an impressive 31 defensive rebounds to limit UNLV's second chances. The Runnin Rebels' finished with just six second-chance points.
Three key stats:
- UNLV shoots 29.6 percent from the field: Duke got the job done on the defensive end, as it forced the Runnin' Rebels to 16-of-54 shooting from the floor. Only one UNLV player was in double figures in scoring, and none could come up with more than five rebounds.
- Duke shoots 45.5 percent from 3-point range: Allen, Luke Kennard and Frank Jackson all had good shooting days from beyond the arc as the team overcame an 0-for-4 performance from Matt Jones to have an efficient night from long range. After putting up big numbers in the last two games, Kennard had a more quiet 16 points on 2-of-5 shooting from deep.
- 21 UNLV turnovers: The Runnin' Rebels failed to take care of the ball all day, with Duke picking their pockets to the tune of 10 steals. Many of the remaining giveaways came on a series of travels in the frontcourt, a call that was a point of emphasis for NCAA officials entering the season.
Three key plays:
- 14:33 remaining first half: After freshman Jayson Tatum got a steal, Jones received the ball on the wing in transition and passed it back to a cutting Allen. The 6-foot-5 guard took off from just inside the free-throw line and threw down a right-handed tomahawk over 6-foot-8 forward Dwayne Morgan to ignite the crowd and stake the Blue Devils to an 18-3 lead.
- 6:14 remaining, first half: Kennard stole the ball from Cheickna Dembele on a double team and ran unchecked to the basket before elevating for a two-handed dunk to give Duke an 18-point lead.
- 9:49 remaining, second half: Running the floor in transition again, Kennard illustrated his improved passing skills with a nifty no-look behind-the-back pass to Tatum, who soared for an uncontested two-handed slam.
And the Duke game ball goes to.... Grayson Allen
With 34 points, four rebounds, one assist and one demoralizing early dunk that is sure to make SportsCenter's top 10 plays of the week, Allen emphatically bounced back from an inefficient start to the season. The preseason ACC Player of the Year has been quiet early with a toe injury slowing him down, but he announced his triumphant return to form with the beating he administered Saturday.
And the UNLV game ball goes to.... Jalen Poyser
Poyser was the only Runnin' Rebel in double figures, as he scored 16 points and had a particularly impressive 4-of-8 shooting night from 3-point range. Poyser also dished out three assists to lead the team and collected one board and one steal.
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