Duke basketball National Champion leads team to victory off bench

A Duke basketball National Champ led his team to victory against one of the NBA’s best.

The slew of Duke basketball players in the NBA has been putting on a show recently as three former Blue Devils will be playing in the 2021 All-Star Game, the most of any college program.

A former Duke assistant, Quin Synder, will be a head coach as a representative of the Western Conference, but it was a beloved Blue Devil who took center stage on Thursday night.

Tyus Jones, the hero of the 2015 National Champion, has emerged into one of the best back-up point guards in the NBA, and he proved that once again against the Los Angeles Clippers (23-11), the second-best team in the West.

Jones poured in a season-high, and a team-best, 20 points in the Memphis Grizzlies’ (14-14) 122-94 victory over the Clippers in just 15 minutes off the bench.

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The Minnesota native was 9-of-11 from the floor and 2-of-3 from three-point range while not attempting a free throw in the victory.

Tyus Jones also added two rebounds, three assists, and a steal to his stat line while not committing a turnover or a foul.

The 20 points was also a career-high for Tyus Jones, and prior to Thursday night, only three other players in NBA history have posted at least 20 points and three assists in 15 minutes or less of game action.

Other Duke basketball National Champs shine

Former Blue Devil Grayson Allen, a starter for the Grizzlies, logged 22 minutes and finished with 10 points and two assists on 4-of-6 shooting while Justise Winslow came off the bench with nine points, six rebounds, one assist, and one steal on 4-of-8 shooting.

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The Memphis Grizzlies are right back on the floor against the Los Angeles Clippers for the second straight game between the two teams on Friday, February 26 at 8:00pm EST.