Champions Classic Recap: Kentucky and Duke slug it out in Atlanta in a classic Kentucky win

Well, that started off okay, then got a lot better, and then Kentucky went cold, allowing Duke to run out to a 46-37 halftime lead.

Kentucky struggled against a relentless Duke defense, as Duke’s length and defensive intensity disrupted the Wildcats’ offensive flow. Kentucky was stagnant far too often, standing around, which forced tough shots and turnovers. Kentucky started 5 of 5 from the 3-point line and finished the half going 2 of 11.

Koby Brea, who played 11 minutes off the bench, had a particularly challenging half. He got caught out of position on defense multiple times as Duke really went at him. He did make a contested three, but he was only 1 of 3 in the first half.

Lamont Butler, a typically reliable player, sometimes forced the action and had difficulty finding his rhythm. Couple that with Kerr Kriisa also struggling offensively. The Cats' point guards combined for 8 points on just 3-for-10 and contributed only 1 assist. Speaking of assists, Kentucky averages 26 a game and only has 8 at halftime, showcasing just how out of sync Kentucky is playing.

Kentucky’s free throw shooting woes added to their first-half struggles, as they missed five shots from the line, including one front end of a 1 and 1. While the Wildcats managed to hit seven three-pointers, they shot only 36.7% overall from the field, compared to Duke’s 50%. In the second half, Kentucky will need to find answers if they hope to overcome Duke’s defensive pressure and claw back into the game.

Kentucky opened the second half with a quick five-point burst, trimming Duke’s lead to just four. However, a momentum-halting block by Cooper Flagg on a layup off an inbounds play kept the Blue Devils in control. The Wildcats had a chance to cut the deficit to three just before the 16-minute timeout, but Jaxon Robinson was forced into a shot clock violation, leaving the score at 50-45 Duke.

Robinson struggled with his shot selection, forcing two tough attempts that allowed Duke to extend their lead back to nine, erasing Kentucky’s progress from the first four minutes. Duke then slowed the tempo significantly, often running the shot clock down to 10 seconds before initiating their offense. You can see the pace taking its toll as Duke players begin to cramp, specifically Maluach.

A hard screen from Amari Williams freed up Koby Brea, who nailed a three-pointer, briefly igniting Kentucky’s offense. Both teams looked fatigued as the under-12 timeout approached, battling hard for every loose ball.

A determined drive by Lamont Butler, followed by a free throw, brought the Wildcats back within three. But Duke quickly answered with five points of their own, pushing the lead back to eight.

A timely putback by Brandon Garrison cut Duke’s advantage to four, forcing them to call a timeout. Both teams played intensely, refusing to give an inch in this hard-fought contest.

The Cats closed to within two after a beautiful pass from Koby Brea to Brandon Garrison, heading into the under-8 timeout with 6:31 left. A three-pointer from Kerr Kriisa then cut the lead to just one, and he had a chance to take the lead on the next possession but missed slightly long.

In the following play, Kriisa found Garrison wide open down low, but Cooper Flagg blocked his shot, and Duke capitalized on two free throws on the other end to push their lead back to three. Andrew Carr then executed a pump fake and drove, finishing with an and-1 to bring Kentucky back within 1 point as the game hit the under-4 timeouts.

Carr then proceeded to nail the free throw to tie it up at 67 with 3:50 to go. Oweh forced Flagg into a tough shot that he missed. Robinson had a wide-open three, but his struggles continued, and he missed a wide-open corner three. A great defensive play from Oweh gave Kentucky the ball back, and this time, they took the lead off an Oweh backcut for Kentucky's first lead of the second half, 69-67.

Following the break, Duke called a timeout and drew a foul on Koby Brea as Cooper Flagg made a tough jumper and converted the free throw, putting Duke back ahead. Carr responded by driving past Maluach for another and-1, giving the Cats a two-point lead with 1:41 left.

Lamont Butler then made a fantastic back-tap, forcing the ball off Flagg and out of bounds, giving Kentucky possession back while still up by two. However, Carr turned it over in the paint, allowing Duke to head to the free-throw line, missing the front end. Duke then saw Flagg get a friendly roll on his shot, tying the game.

Kriisa had his next shot blocked but recovered the ball for another chance, missing a deep three. Duke gained possession with a seven-second differential between the shot clock and the game clock.

With 26.5 to go, Duke went to Flagg against Carr. The Freshman turned it over, and Oweh was fouled on the shot as he drove to the rim. With a chance to put the Cats up, Oweh rolled the first one in to put the Cats up. Duke had no timeouts left, as Oweh made the second.

Kentucky put a token press on, and Flagg slipped and dribbled it out of bounds with only 5.5 seconds left. Kentucky inbounded the ball long to Butler on a beautiful pass from Brea. Butler to the line shooting 1 and 1. Butler has a chance to ice it at the line. He made the first one and then missed the second. Oweh, though, with another HUGE play getting the rebound off a missed free throw. Oweh nailed the first free throw and the second, winning 77-72 in a classic