"Brings tears to my eyes": Fans go wild after 7'2 Khaman Maluach and Isaiah 'Slim' Evans combine for thunderous play vs Syracuse

Duke dominated Syracuse with an 83-54 victory on Wednesday night at the JMA Wireless Dome. A standout moment came when Isaiah Evans threw down a powerful one-handed dunk, set up by Khaman Maluach's block that led to a fast break.

The Blue Devils controlled the game from start to finish, keeping their lead above 20 points for nearly the entire contest.

Following the electrifying play, Duke Men’s Basketball shared a video of the moment on X, captioning it:

"MAN MAN 🚫 SLIM 🚀 'OH MY GOODNESS.'"

The clip quickly gained traction among fans, with one expressing:

"Brings tears to my eyes."

Inject this into my veins, " another tweet reads.

"DUKE IS THE BEST SHOW ON EARTH AHHHHHHH, " someone else said.

"Omg, " another tweet says.

"Khaman should be credited with an assist, " someone else said.

"This team has 2015 vibes, with feels of 2001! LET’S GO!!!!!!" another fan said.

"Slim minutes are good minutes 🔥" someone else said.

Head coach Jon Scheyer praised his team's discipline and maturity during a post-game radio interview. He stated:

"These guys have been mature on their own. We talk to them and they respond to you. There’s never been a time this year they haven’t responded. For them to listen and to respond the whole way, that’s special."

Duke held a 14-point advantage at halftime, despite a slow start offensively. In the first seven minutes of the second half, the Blue Devils extended their lead past 20, reaching a 52-31 margin after a Sion James layup. Tyrese Proctor led the team with 16 points, sinking four of Duke’s nine three-pointers.

Kon Knueppel contributed 12 points, nine of which came in the first half. Cooper Flagg had a quieter night by his standards, finishing with 11 points, five rebounds, and two assists.

Meanwhile, James and Evans each tallied 10 points. Duke’s bench proved crucial, outscoring Syracuse’s reserves 28-23. Evans contributed 10 points, three rebounds, and a season-high four assists. Caleb Foster, who had gone scoreless in three consecutive games, stepped up with six points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

Duke led just 11-7 when Evans, Proctor, and James drained back-to-back three-pointers to create separation. The Blue Devils also tied their season-high in steals with 12 and capitalized on Syracuse’s mistakes, converting 23 points off 14 turnovers. Duke looked ahead to their next challenge: an upcoming matchup at Clemson on Saturday night.

A Health Scare for Khaman Maluach

A week earlier, Khaman Maluach had a concerning moment in Duke’s game against N.C. State. The 7-foot-2 freshman stood near the baseline behind N.C. State’s Brandon Huntley-Hatfield when he suddenly turned away and vomited with 4:21 left in the game.

Maluach initially sat on the court before lying on his back as the medical staff attended to him. He remained alert throughout the episode but needed assistance walking off the floor. Shortly after, he exited the bench area and did not return for the remainder of the contest.

The game saw a five-minute stoppage as staff members cleaned the court using spray cleaner and multiple towels. Maluach was absent from the locker room when reporters arrived for post-game interviews. However, Coach Scheyer reassured everyone that Maluach was fine, stating that the freshman big man had no serious health concerns following the incident.