Despite playing every minute of Saturday’s game against St. John’s at Madison Square Garden, the Duke senior Grayson Allen had not done much. Four points. Two assists. Two rebounds.
Yet with 36 seconds left and the Blue Devils trailing by 4, it was Allen who made a 3-pointer to give the game a final burst of life. Allen brought the ball up on a subsequent possession and attempted two more 3s in what was, ultimately, a losing effort. No. 9 Duke (19-4) walked off the court stunned, an 81-77 loser to unranked and unheralded St. John’s (11-13) only days before Thursday’s showdown at archrival North Carolina.