Coach K.O. Doesn’t Keep Duke From Win

Sprawled on the court that bears his nickname, Mike Krzyzewski thought first about his wife and his three daughters.

But not so much about their worry or concern about his fall. Rather, he prepared himself for the endless teasing he knew he would receive.

“I’ve got to deal with that forever now,” Krzyzewski said with a smile.

The Duke coach bounced up quickly after a dizzy spell sent him to the floor in the first half, and the fourth-ranked Blue Devils went on to beat No. 25 Georgia Tech, 82-65, on Saturday.

J.J. Redick had 17 of his 26 points in the first half and Shelden Williams finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds and six blocks for Duke (17-2, 7-2 Atlantic Coast Conference), which had lost two of its previous three games. That included a rare one at Cameron, where the Yellow Jackets (13-7, 4-5) ended the Blue Devils’ 41-game home winning streak last season.

Daniel Ewing added 16 points, but the focus in this one was on Krzyzewski, the 57-year-old coach in his 25th season in Durham.

During a timeout 8 1/2 minutes into the game, he was talking to one of the referees and suddenly fell to the floor at Coach K Court. Krzyzewski lay on his right side, facing his bench, but never lost consciousness.

“I don’t know if it’s ever happened to you, but when you get up real quick, sometimes you get lightheaded,” he said. “Over my 30 years of coaching, it’s happened a number of times. Normally, you just get up like that and you have your feet under you, and it’s OK.

“I felt like a chump, like someone hit me with an air punch and I’m out,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m thinking, ‘What an idiot,’ and I know I’m going to get it from my daughters and my wife.”

Krzyzewski’s wife, Mickie, ran from her seat in the upper deck to the end of the bench, and Duke Athletic Director Joe Alleva came too. But Krzyzewski was up and back in front of his players to complete the timeout.

“That was really scary,” Blue Devil forward Shavlik Randolph said. “When he was on the floor, it’s like seeing one of your family members there. But he came right back to the huddle and said, ‘I’m all right.’ ”

When referee Reginald Cofer later went to check on him, Krzyzewski took the opportunity to complain about the officiating, and Cofer walked away smiling.

The fall had little effect on the game. At the time, the Blue Devils led, 15-12, and a dunk by Georgia Tech’s Isma’il Muhammad later cut the lead to one. Redick started a run of nine unanswered points with a three-pointer, and although the Yellow Jackets briefly rallied to within one, Duke kept control throughout.