Blue Devil Country

Duke basketball product throws down SportsCenter's No. 1 play

Former Duke basketball star RJ Barrett is now flying higher for the Knicks.

Matt Giles

Duke basketball product throws down SportsCenter's No. 1 play
Duke basketball product throws down SportsCenter's No. 1 play /
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New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett saw his Friday night end in a heartbreaking 118-117 home loss to the Chicago Bulls. But if the 2018-19 Duke basketball one-and-done happened to watch ESPN afterward, he saw one of the many highlights from his season-best 44-point performance end up at No. 1 on the SportsCenter Top 10.

RELATED: Stacking up all 26 Duke one-and-dones in history

Midway through the third quarter, the 6-foot-6, 215-pound lefty zipped past five-time All-Star guard DeMar DeRozan before putting two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic on a poster via a crowd-pleasing dunk:

Barrett finished the game 14-for-20 from the field, 6-for-6 from downtown, and 10-for-13 from the charity stripe. The 22-year-old former No. 3 overall draft pick added seven rebounds and four assists across his team-high 39 minutes on the floor.

With 29.1 seconds to play, he drained a challenging 10-foot runner in the lane, drawing "RJ Barrett" chants from Madison Square Garden patrons and giving the Knicks a 117-114 lead. However, DeRozan and co-star Zach LaVine came up with two clutch buckets in the final 10 seconds to give the Bulls a dramatic victory.

Nevertheless, Barrett's 44 points pushed his season scoring average into career-high status at 20.4 points while chipping in 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He's recorded 20 or more points in seven of New York's past eight outings.

Also noteworthy, Duke basketball's all-time top-scoring freshman (860 points) is proving durable again as one of three players on the Knicks who has played and started every game.

The New York Knicks (18-15) are one of 10 NBA squads playing on Christmas Day. They host the Philadelphia 76ers (19-12) at noon ET (ESPN/ABC).

RELATED: Knicks coach removes Duke product Cam Reddish from rotation

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country for daily Duke basketball content.

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Matt Giles
MATT GILES

Matt Giles is the editor and publisher of Duke Blue Devils on SI, North Carolina Tar Heels on SI, and NC State Wolfpack on SI, making him a key source for comprehensive coverage of these storied college basketball programs. Since joining SI in 2022, Matt has been dedicated to providing in-depth analysis, breaking news, and exclusive content on all three teams. He covers everything from game previews and recaps to player profiles and recruiting updates. Matt's expert knowledge of these teams has made his work a go-to resource for fans and followers of Duke, NC State, and UNC. As publisher, he shapes the editorial direction, ensuring that the most relevant and timely information reaches his audience.

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