Duke held the Tar Heels to just 11 points over the last six minutes of the first half after Goldwire and Vrankovic came in.
Williamson scored the game-winning bucket, following his own shot for a putback with 31 seconds left to give Duke a 74-73 lead.
The Blue Devils came back from a 33-20 deficit to make it a tie 44-44 game at the break.
Zion Williamson will finally get a taste of the Tobacco Road rivalry Friday night.
Which freshman point guard will prevail tonight?
A historic performance from Zion Williamson powered Duke to the ACC semifinals.
The Blue Devils are out for revenge following a regular-season series sweep by the Tar Heels.
Williamson delivered a more awe-inducing performance than anything he produced during a spectacular regular season, making all 13 shots he took from the field.
Nike's reputation took a hit as its stock dropped more than a percentage point when the markets opened the morning after Williamson's injury.
In the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament Thursday, Zion Williamson quickly picked up where he left off with arguably his strongest performance of the season.
Zion Williamson has picked right back up where he left off in his return Thursday.
The Blue Devils will get a much-needed piece back Thursday in Zion Williamson.
The Blue Devils will welcome back Zion Williamson with open arms Thursday.
Zion Williamson and R.J. Barrett have been the center of college basketball all season. Their team’s legacy will be defined during the next four weeks.
The Chronicle breaks down all the possibilities for Duke as it hopes to get things straightened out with Zion Williamson back in the fold and show the committee members why it was atop the AP poll for several weeks this season.
For the second time in as many seasons, a Blue Devil is the best player in the ACC.
More important for Duke than a shot at payback against North Carolina is the opportunity to turn the page and start a new season.
Scorers come in threes on championship basketball teams, and Duke has struggled to find offense without the most critical piece of its trio.
The Tar Heels completed a regular-season sweep of the Blue Devils for the first time since 2009, led by 21 points from Coby White.
Cam Reddish has been red-hot from long distance, silencing the crowd with a trio of 3-pointers.
