CHARLOTTE — A Duke team that had dominated opponents for the past week and a half was suddenly vulnerable Sunday as Michigan guard Darius Morris drove into the lane in the closing seconds.

As Morris put up an 8-foot runner in an attempt to tie the score, Blue Devils forward Ryan Kelly was relieved that least Duke wasn't going to lose at that moment. Winning in overtime still was a possibility.

And then it wasn't necessary.

Morris' shot caromed off the back rim to his left with two seconds remaining at Time Warner Cable Arena. Nolan Smith rebounded, and the No. 1 seed Blue Devils escaped to the West Regional semifinals with a 73-71 win, the 900th of Mike Krzyzewski's college basketball coaching career.

The gap between Krzyzewski and his mentor, Bob Knight, could close to one when the Blue Devils meet No. 5-seeded Arizona on Thursday in Anaheim, Calif., at a time to be announced. Knight holds the Division I record with 902 career wins.

"We won a big-time game today," Krzyzewski said. "We told our kids it would be like playing Butler in the national championship."

The game certainly ended in a similar fashion to last year's NCAA title game, which Duke won 61-59 when a desperation heave by Butler's Gordon Hayward fell off the rim.

Duke (32-4) saw a 15-point, second-half lead cut to one on a 3-pointer by Tim Hardaway Jr. with 1:28 remaining. Freshman guard Kyrie Irving, playing his second game since returning from a toe injury that kept him out 31/2 months, made a running, 6-foot bank shot with 32 seconds left to extend the lead back to three points.

Morris answered quickly with a driving layup, and Smith was fouled with 8.7 seconds remaining and Duke ahead 72-71. Smith made the first free throw but missed the second.

Zack Novak rebounded for Michigan and fired an outlet pass to Morris, who rushed up the floor.

"It's my job to go and finish at the rim," said Morris, whose 16 points led Michigan. "It didn't go in. I've made that shot a lot of times before in the same situation, but it didn't fall today."

Duke entered the game with four straight wins by 14 or more points and an enthusiasm heightened by the return of Irving, who scored 11 points in 21 minutes.

But Michigan wasn't intimidated.

The No. 8 seed Wolverines (21-14) already had played three times against opponents that became No. 1 regional seeds. Kansas edged Michigan in overtime, and Ohio State won by four and nine points over the Wolverines in Big Ten play.

With a lethargic Duke team leading just 39-35 and 3:01 expired in the second half, Krzyzewski called time out and shouted at his players. He removed his suit coat and coached the rest of the game without it.

Smith, a senior guard, responded. He scored 10 of his game-high 24 points in 1:55. He turned to deliver some choice words to the fans after leaving Hardaway on the floor with a crossover dribble and stepback for a 15-footer on the wing across from the Duke bench.

"I don't want to take this jersey off," Smith said. "It's as simple as that."

Duke led 49-37 and increased its advantage to 58-43 on a Kyle Singler three-point play with 10:51 remaining. But Michigan's 1-3-1 zone slowed the Blue Devils, and Hardaway scored seven points in 1:42 to cut the lead to one.

Soon, Morris had a chance to extend the game.

"It's definitely heartbreaking when you have an opportunity to go to the Sweet 16, and you take that shot, you feel like it's going in," Morris said. "You know it's going in. And then when it rims out, it's a different outcome. It really hits you hard."

It has been two years since Duke's players knew how that felt. They will go to Anaheim, happy for the opportunity to play at least 40 more minutes and fortunate that they didn't have to play five more Sunday.

Duke 73, Michigan 71

Percentages: FG .509, FT .909. 3-point goals: 7-21, .333 (Novak 4-9, Smotrycz 2-2, Hardaway Jr. 1-6, Vogrich 0-1, Morris 0-1, Douglass 0-2). Team rebounds: 4. Blocked shots: 0. Turnovers: 7 (Douglass 2, Morgan 2, Smotrycz, Morris, Novak). Steals: 7 (Novak 3, Hardaway Jr. 2, Morris 2). Technical fouls: none.

Percentages: FG .510, FT .720. 3-point goals: 5-20, .250 (Smith 2-4, Dawkins 2-5, Singler 1-5, Kelly 0-1, Irving 0-2, Curry 0-3). Team rebounds: 2. Blocked shots: 2 (Ma. Plumlee, Mi. Plumlee). Turnovers: 11 (Ma. Plumlee 4, Smith 2, Irving 2, Singler, Mi. Plumlee). Steals: 1 (Irving). Technical fouls: none.

Att.-18,329. Officials-Verne Harris, Ed Corbett, Gary Maxwell.

ktysiac@charlotteobserver.com or 919-829-8942