The Duke Blue Devils defeated ACC rival NC State on Monday night in Durham, 74-64. However, the game’s final minutes were chaotic for reasons unrelated to basketball.
With just under five minutes remaining, Duke held a narrow 63-62 lead. As they looked to extend their advantage, play was unexpectedly halted when big man Khaman Maluach vomited under the basket. He was sidelined after getting sick, but fortunately, the Blue Devils didn’t need him to secure the win.
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The Blue Devils closed the game with an 11-2 run, securing a 10-point victory. Cooper Flagg’s 23 second-half points played a crucial role in helping Duke rally from an early deficit.
After the game, head coach Jon Scheyer shared an update on Khaman Maluach and explained the cause of his unexpected illness.
“He was having issues with cramping, so he drank a lot of Gatorade. That’s what led to him throwing up… He was doing whatever he could to get back in the game. Obviously, he drank too much. He felt better after the game.”
— Jon Scheyer
The chaos didn’t end there. Shortly after Maluach’s illness, a Duke fan had to be carried out of the arena after seemingly passing out upon witnessing the on-court vomiting.
Maluach left the game with 4:21 remaining, and the fan was escorted out at the 3:30 mark—less than a minute of game time separating the two incidents.
Fortunately, the fan appears to be okay. After receiving medical attention, she was able to walk out of the arena on her own.
“For those concerned about the student who appeared to pass out during the NC State-Duke game, I’m told by a school spokesperson that she’s doing OK and she walked out of the arena on her own after receiving medical attention.”
— Myron Medcalf on X
The exact cause of the incident remains unclear, but witnessing two unusual exits in such a short span was certainly unexpected. Thankfully, postgame updates indicate that both individuals are recovering well.
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