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New York • As Larry Krystkowiak slipped a joke into his press conference, it was easy to get the sense he'd been practicing the line for a while.
The press wanted to know about Jakob Poeltl, the Austrian center who helped lead Utah's 77-75 win in overtime. How did Krystkowiak feel the sophomore had developed?
"First off, he made the right decision to come back," Krystkowiak deadpanned, as Poeltl chuckled along. "And he needs to make the same decision next year."
The most overt recruiting pitch of all time was warranted: Poeltl was sublime on Saturday at Madison Square Garden, a venue most believe he'll come to know next year when he's in the NBA.
And it wasn't just Poeltl who shined — so did his fellow sophomore forward, Kyle Kuzma, who added 21 points and 8 rebounds to Poeltl's 19 points and 14 rebounds.
To call it "stunning" might be disingenuous: Utah recognized that the Blue Devils might struggle without injured senior forward Amile Jefferson, who is averaging a double-double. The Utes made a game plan to go inside, and their 7-foot and 6-foot-9 sophomores pulled it off.
"Let's face it, with Jefferson being out, that certainly was a stroke of good luck," Krystkowiak said. "He provides, as a senior, some of that leadership, and a double-double guy. I think everybody in the basketball world right now understands they're playing a little undersized right now."
For once, Duke was made to feel like the little guy.
Utah had 48 points in the paint to Duke's 26; it had 56 rebounds to Duke's 38; it shot 57 percent inside the arc to Duke's 31 percent.
For both players, it answered key questions: Poeltl had his biggest game against a ranked opponent, only a week after being limited against Wichita State. Kuzma had never scored in double figures on the road.
With their performances, more basketball observers will start taking them seriously.
The Blue Devils' early zone turned into a layup line for Utah's bigs. Poeltl ripped off a fast start, scoring the first three baskets and dishing to Brekkott Chapman for another dunk.
Eventually 7-footer Marshall Plumlee was able to body up on Poeltl more effectively, but as Utah's star center headed to the bench with foul trouble, Kuzma started heating up: On a stretch between two minutes left in the first half to four minutes into the second, he scored five baskets and was Utah's entire offense.
He led all Utah scorers with 21 points, including the game-tying bucket that sent the game into overtime.
"I started off the game pretty rough," he said of his start, which included several turnovers. "I had jitters from just playing in the Garden. I came back after halftime and said we have to win this game, and I can be a big part of it."
Twitter: @kylegoon —
Utah stands tall
Points in the paint • Utah 48, Duke 26
Rebounds • Utah 56, Duke 38
2-point percentage • Utah 56.8 percent; Duke 30.6 percent