Cooper Flagg dropped 27 points, carried Duke for 36 minutes, and still walked away empty. All it took was one whistle, one controversial call, to flip the script and silence the Blue Devils’ dream. For Cooper Flagg, this won’t be the end. However, Duke lost control of the game. And their narrative shifted from dominance to collapse.
In their matchup with Houston, Duke seemed in control until they weren’t. The Blue Devils led by seven with just over a minute left. Cooper Flagg was on fire, dropping 27 points and carrying Duke’s offense. But Houston flipped the switch late, closing on a wild 25-8 run. Duke made only one field goal in the last ten and a half minutes.
For a team that had been the most efficient offense in nearly three decades, this collapse was stunning. Meanwhile, Houston’s pressure defense turned the game into chaos, and that chaos worked in their favor.
Then came the moment that made headlines. With less than 20 seconds left, Cooper Flagg fought for a rebound. Then came the whistle that stopped everything. A loose-ball foul was called on Flagg, giving Houston a chance to take the lead. ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith posted, “That was an absolute horrible foul call vs Cooper Flagg. No way. No way.” Former NBA guard Ron Harper clapped back, saying, “Yes, but it didn’t cost them the game…” To Harper, it wasn’t just this moment that caused the things to fall apart for Duke. Many, though, would strongly disagree.
Yes but it didn’t cost them the game….
— Ron Harper (@HARPER04_5) April 6, 2025
Let’s talk about that foul. Duke led by one, and Tyrese Proctor missed a free throw. Flagg scrambled for the rebound, tangled with defenders, and got called for a foul. The play looked like a normal scramble: bodies flying, hands everywhere. But the refs blew the whistle, and J’Wan Roberts knocked down both free throws.
That single call changed everything. Houston ended the game on a 9-0 run, while Duke missed every final attempt. Cooper Flagg’s 27-point performance got buried under one controversial whistle. And just like that, Duke’s dream faded under the bright lights of San Antonio.
Cooper Flagg and coach Scheyer open up about the airball that put a nail in the coffin
Even after the heartbreak, Cooper Flagg held his head high. Standing in front of reporters, he calmly broke down the final play. “Took it into the paint, thought I got my feet set, rose up,” he said. He missed a shot he’s made countless times, but added, “It’s a shot I’m willing to live with in that scenario.” That miss didn’t just cost Duke a title shot: it marked the end of a dream that had seemed all but promised.
Head coach Jon Scheyer backed his star without hesitation. “For the rest of my life, I’ll have no regrets with No. 2 with the ball 6 feet from the basket,” he said. Scheyer clearly trusted Flagg to take that shot, just as he had trusted him all season. Duke had followed the game plan, controlled the tempo, and led for 35 minutes. But even a near-perfect plan can’t stop chaos when it strikes at the worst moment.
Dec 4, 2024; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cooper Flagg (2) shoots over Auburn Tigers center Johni Broome (4) during the second half at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Blue Devils won 84-78. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images
J’Wan Roberts, the man who sank the go-ahead free throws, spoke with calm confidence. “To tell you the honest truth… I wasn’t really nervous at all,” he said, crediting hours of nightly practice. His composure at the line added the final blow to Duke’s unraveling. Scheyer’s team may have cracked under pressure, but Roberts thrived in it. The moment was big, but he was ready for it.
Even Houston’s coach, Kelvin Sampson, knew the game’s final shot would go to Flagg. “Everybody knew who was going to get it,” he said, praising Roberts for contesting just enough. And when Flagg’s shot clanged off the front rim, Duke’s season ended not with a mistake but with a moment of silence. Just a clean look that didn’t fall.
Flagg’s words at the end said it all: “Didn’t end the way we wanted it to, but still an incredible year.”
Stephen A. Smith called it a terrible call. Ron Harper pushed back. But the truth sits somewhere in the middle. Flagg’s foul was harsh, but Duke didn’t lose on one play – they lost the last ten minutes. March Madness is brutal like that.
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