Duke Loses Flagg, Brown in ACC Tournament Win Vs. Georgia Tech

CHARLOTTE, N.C.  — Kon Knueppel scored 28 points as top-seeded Duke overcame injuries to star Cooper Flagg and Maliq Brown to beat eighth-seeded Georgia Tech 78-70 on Thursday, March 13, and advance to the 2025 T. Rowe Price ACC Men’s Basketball Tournament semifinals.

Isaiah Evans scored 14 points on four 3-pointers and Khaman Maluach added 14 points and nine rebounds for the Blue Devils (29-3), who have won nine straight games.

Flagg appeared to land awkwardly on Baye Ndongo’s foot as he came down with a rebound late in the first half. The 2025 ACC Player and Freshman of the Year retreated to the Duke bench before being helped to the locker room. Flagg returned to the Duke bench in the second half without a boot on his foot. He did not return to the game.

Brown went down with a shoulder injury in the first half.

Duncan Powell led Georgia Tech (17-16) with 24 points.

Duke missed its first 13 shots from beyond the arc and fell behind 26-12, matching its season’s largest deficit. They trailed 26-17 when Flagg left the game but cut the lead to five at halftime. Duke pushed its lead to seven early in the second half when Tyrese Proctor stole a pass and delivered a high-flying one-handed dunk in transition.

The Blue Devils will face archrivals North Carolina Tar Heels in the semifinals on Friday at 7 pm to decide who will appear in the 2025 ACC Tournament championship game.