Duke star Zion Williamson injures knee after Nike shoe blows out

DURHAM, N.C. — Luke Maye took full advantage of a freak injury to freshman sensation Zion Williamson, finishing with 30 points and 15 rebounds to lead No. 8 North Carolina past No. 1 Duke 88-72 on Wednesday night.

A star-studded crowd that included former President Barack Obama, Spike Lee and Hall of Fame outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. packed into Cameron looking for another highlight-filled show from Williamson - arguably the most exciting player in college basketball.

[Quiet RJ Barrett shines in Zion's shadow for No. 1 Duke]

But the ACC's second-leading scorer sprained his right knee during the Blue Devils' opening possession.

Williamson grabbed it in pain after slipping awkwardly and falling when his left shoe fell apart as he planted hard while dribbling near the free throw line. The blue rubber sole ripped loose from the white shoe from the heel to the toes along the outside edge, with Williamson's foot coming all the way through the large gap.

Coach Mike Krzyzewski classified the injury as mild, but said he doesn't know how much time Williamson will miss.

Cameron Johnson added 26 points and Garrison Brooks had 14 to help the Tar Heels (21-5, 11-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) earn their most lopsided win at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 30 years.

By winning their ninth in 10 games and beating a top-ranked team for the first time since 2013, they pulled into a first-place tie with the Blue Devils (23-3, 11-2).

RJ Barrett matched a season best with 33 points and fellow freshman Cameron Reddish added a season-high 27 for Duke - but the rest of the team combined to score just 12.

Following the game, Nike released the following statement: “We are obviously concerned and want to wish Zion a speedy recovery. The quality and performance of our products are of utmost importance. While this is an isolated occurrence, we are working to identify the issue.”

Duke looked lost without Williamson. Meanwhile, North Carolina took advantage of the Zion-sized hole in the lane, scoring 32 of its first 34 points in the paint and finishing with a 62-28 scoring advantage there. The Tar Heels never trailed, pushed their lead to 22 on Johnson's layup with about 16 minutes left and held on.

Eight nights after the Blue Devils rallied from 23 down in the final 10 minutes to win at Louisville, they couldn't come up with another comeback - especially without Williamson.

BIG PICTURE

North Carolina: This was quite a statement from the Tar Heels, who followed up the most lopsided ACC road victory in school history with their most lopsided win at Cameron since they won by 20 here in 1989. It also was their first win over a No. 1 since knocking off Michigan State in December 2013.

Duke: The result of the game seems secondary to Williamson's health, given how much he means to the Blue Devils and their national title hopes. Now the question is how the Blue Devils will handle playing without arguably the biggest star in the sport. Each of Duke's losses since November came at home after a key freshman was injured early, with point guard Tre Jones' shoulder injury leading to an overtime loss to Syracuse.

UP NEXT

North Carolina: Plays host to No. 16 Florida State on Saturday.

Duke: Visits Syracuse on Saturday night.

Nike probing Zion shoe malfunction that led to injury

Nike says it's investigating why Duke freshman Zion Williamson split a shoe open during a game against rival North Carolina. But the sportswear giant says it's an "isolated occurrence."

The Beaverton, Oregon-based company says it's concerned and says quality and performance of its products are of "utmost importance."

The shoe malfunction, which forced Williamson to leave the game with a knee sprain, happened in front of a crowd of celebrities, including former President Barack Obama and Spike Lee.

Williamson's left shoe fell apart as he planted hard near the free throw line. The blue rubber sole ripped loose from the white shoe from the heel to the toes along the outside edge, with Williamson's foot coming all the way through the large gap.

Nike quickly became the target of ridicule on social media, which presents challenges for the sportswear brand.

Nike's shares are down 1 percent, or 84 cents, to $84 in early morning trading Thursday.

Associated Press