Jalen Johnson returns from injury just when unranked Duke needs him most
Jalen Johnson arrived, again, for Duke on Tuesday night.
The question yet unanswered is if his standout performance in his first full game back from injury will be the norm or the exception.
In a game Duke lost to Pittsburgh 79-73, the 6-9 freshman forward stuffed the stat sheet to the tune of 24 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists and four blocked shots.
In dire need of reliable pieces as he attempts to put together the jumbled puzzle that is Duke’s basketball team this season, coach Mike Krzyzewski certainly hopes Johnson can continue to play at that level even if production like that is unlikely to occur every game.
“Jalen had a magnificent game and he’s just started to be with us,” Krzyzewski said. “If he comes close to doing that every game, then that’s something that we can count on every game. You’re not necessarily going to get 24 and 15, and seven assists and no turnovers, but somebody who can create and manufacture shots.”
Up, then down, then injured
A projected first-round pick in this year’s NBA draft, Johnson showed similar play back on Nov. 28 when he collected 19 points and 19 rebounds in Duke’s 81-71 season-opener win over Coppin State.
But over Duke’s next three games, Johnson scored just 27 points combined while making 11 of 27 shots (40.7%).
A foot injury sidelined him after he hit just 3 of 10 shots while scoring seven points when Illinois beat Duke 83-68 on Dec. 8. He missed Duke’s next three games and two others were postponed due to opponents’ COVID-19 issues.
After scoring four points while playing four minutes in Duke’s 74-67 loss at Virginia Tech on Jan. 12, Johnson showed he’s healthy and full of skills at Pittsburgh. That doesn’t mean he’s happy with the game.
“I’m more focused on making a statement as a team,” Johnson said. “I know my game is going to take care of itself. I know Coach is going to put me in the right positions to make plays and play my game.”
Blue Devils different when Jalen Johnson plays
With the Blue Devils (5-4, 3-2 ACC) unranked, riding a two-game losing streak and needing a win at Louisville on Saturday to stay above .500, Krzyzewski said the team is in desperate need of consistent performances.
After Pitt built a 55-40 lead with 16:29 to play on Tuesday night, Duke unleashed a furious comeback that cut the deficit to two points three different times. That improved play happened mostly with Johnson, sophomores Matthew Hurt and Wendell Moore and freshmen DJ Steward and Jeremy Roach on the court.
After starting the game on the bench, Johnson was in the second-half starting lineup and clearly made the Blue Devils go.
“The stuff he brings to our team is like no other,” Moore said. “He really can do it all. Sometimes we play through him. He made a fantastic pass, he made the shots – he did everything he was supposed to do, so having him back is definitely a plus for us. We just need to keep building on it and get the win.”
Pitt coach Jeff Capel, the former Duke player and assistant coach, said Johnson played “at his best” and that made the Blue Devils “a very different team.”
The hope for Duke is that Johnson keeps this up and makes Duke different the rest of the season than they’ve been so far while going winless against ranked teams.
“He’s very special,” Steward said. “It’s great having him back. We saw in the game that he can do pretty much everything on the court. He had the most assists and we’ve got to feed off of that. We’ve got to share the ball together like he does and we’ve got to rebound like he does and have a toughness. We’ve got to feed off of his energy and then play off of him. He’s playing really well.”
Duke at Louisville
When: 4 p.m., Saturday
Where: KFC Yum! Center, Louisville, Kentucky
Watch: ESPN
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 3:00 PM.